Behind Closed Classrooms
by Lara D
Summary: (AU Fanfic; Sequel to For the First Time) With the arrival of two troublesome new students, Daphne and Mustardseed's secret relationship starts getting rocky, and Mustardseed is finding it harder to stay away from Daphne in school. To top it all off, Sage has a big surprise for everyone. Happy Easter!
1. Chapter o1: Surprises

**A/N. **Taa-daa! Welcome to the sequel of For the First Time (FTFT)! If you've come from that story (meaning you've been with me for a while), thanks so much for coming back!

If you've forgotten, or didn't know, this story (and FTFT also) is pretty much the property of Jordan Lynde -wait, not pretty much -it is. I got her permission to move things around, though, and to post it here, so there won't be any suing or anything like that. :D This is Jordan's, but I'm just bringing the Sisters Grimm element to it. Also, because I say _it's Jordan's_, if you feel it's too fluffy, she wrote that. XD

Also, God gave you choices. So if you choose to stop reading this because you find it sappy or too mushy, you can leave with a goodbye message if you'd like. We won't get mad, but I can't say I won't be sad. :') _But,_ if you start bashing on the authors themselves, we're bring it right back. :D

First chapter is dedicated to **Autumn** from FB, for telling me if the title was good or not, and to **Ariene Archerway**, because she requested so. :) If you'd like a chapter, you can request one, too. :) But you'll have to remind me again and again because I have a horrible memory. It's amazing that I remembered to write a sequel. :D :D

Rated T for Mild Violence and Coarse (Course?) Language

Genre: Humor/Romance/Drama

Originally Started: May 24 7:45 PM

Ages: Daphne: 18, Mustardseed: 22 (Appearance Wise), Sage: 20, Puckabrina: 22 and 23 (Puck -Appearance Wise), Wendell, Ariana, and Two New Characters: 17

**Disclaimer:** I Do Not Own The Sisters Grimm. Ownership Goes To Michael Buckley and Jordan Lynde. I Do Own Ariana, Sage, Bryant, The Two New Characters, and Daphne Pierce.

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**"Behind Closed Classrooms"**

_Chapter 1: Surprises_

"Are you finally free from house arrest?"

My gaze landed on a mop of slightly messy, blonde hair when I looked up. One of my best and Everafter friends, Wendell, took a seat in front of me, setting down his lunch bag. He looked at me with his head cocked to the side, waiting for an answer.

"Guess so," I said with a smile, then glancing down at my lunch. Two hot dogs with French fries, a brownie, and some Arizona ice tea. I also had some strawberries, grapes, and four Crunch bars. Yum!

"Finally," he said, looking relieved. "I thought you were going to be grounded forever."

Grimacing, I said, "Me too. It was pretty olive of my parents to ground me once we got back from Daphne's wedding."

"Well, can you blame them, _amiga_?" my other best friend, Ariana, pitched in, frowning at me. "They found out you were involved with a gang by being stabbed and sent to the hospital. If I was your parent, you'd be grounded until you were _una abuelita_."

Sheepishly, I looked at them, and scratched the back of my head. "They were really steamed about that...especially Sabrina. I think they're all still upset."

"And yet they weren't upset when they found out you were dating a teacher," Wendell said, lowering his voice as he leaned across the lunch table.

I sent him a warning look. "Shush! And no, they don't care. Actually, my dad was also a teacher. Didn't I tell you guys that?"

They shook their heads in synchronization. "Nope."

"Well you do now."

"Ah, so it runs _en la familia_?" Ariana said with a smirk.

I was about to retort when I felt a tap on my shoulder. Wendell's eyes looked behind me as I turned, frowning slightly at the person. A younger, female student I didn't recognize held out a small piece of paper. Giving her a small thanks, I took it from her, immediately recognizing the neat, cursive hand-writing.

"Another lunch meeting?" Ariana asked, leaning so she could take a look at it. "Isn't this like the tenth time this month?"

I blushed, quickly balling up the note, putting it in my pocket. Ariana smirked as I stood up from the table. "Wendell, can you throw away my trash for me?"

The blonde smiled wryly at me. "Sure thing, Daphne."

"_Have funnn_," Ariana chirped, winking.

I shot her an exasperated look, then headed out of the cafeteria. The halls were completely empty and I ran through, eager to get to Mr. Firay's room. It was clever of him to send a different student every time he wanted to talk to me; no one would get suspicious. I entered the Home Ec classroom, looking around for any rogue students.

"Mr. Firay?"

"Do we have to go through the rubber band process again?" a voice demanded from behind me, making my heart leap into my throat.

I spun around, coming-face-to-face with my Home Ec teacher. He raised an eyebrow, his beautiful blue eyes piercing into mine. The rubber band process...I winced, remembering that horribly, painful time. Well it wasn't painful for _me, _but I figured it was for him. Every time I called him "Mr. Firay" instead of "Matt" or "Mustardseed" outside of school, he'd snap a rubber band on _his _wrist. At first, I thought it was really funny, calling him Mr. Firay on purpose, but then I started feeling guilty, so I gave up, Somehow, I had gotten out of my habit of calling him Mr. Firay.

"Well?"

"N-no, we don't."

"Good."

"But we're in school," I said. "And I didn't know if anyone was in here. We have to be careful, Mustardseed."

A grin spread across his face and he took a step towards me, bringing up his arms. Before he could hug me, I ducked out from under him, and took a few steps backwards. He pouted.

"What now?"

"No PDA," I reprimanded. Though, I was doing my best to resist the urge to hug him, too.

Mr. Firay narrowed his eyes. "I don't like these new rules, Daphne."

"I don't like them, either," I admitted. "But I don't want to take a chance of ruining anything. Everything's been so perfect lately..."

"Speaking of perfect, a few more members of the gang were caught and brought to jail," Mr. Firay told me, grinning again. "Rumor is that the gang disbanded."

My eyes were as wide as saucers. "Really?"

"Really really."

"When Bryant went to jail, it really was the end..."

"Seems so."

Silence filled the room. We just stared at each other. Nothing needed to be said. He smirked when I felt my cheeks being dusted with red. If there was one thing I wasn't good at, it was eye contact. I couldn't hold it for the life of me.

"So, um, what did you need?"

An expression of surprise quickly passed over his face. "Oh, I almost forgot! Two new transfer students are arriving today," he said, gesturing with his hand for me to follow him. "I need you to do me a favor and get them in the front office and bring them here."

"Me? Why me?"

"The principal asked me to ask someone in my eighth period class because the two new students have Home Ec this period," Mr. Firay told me. "Not that we actually need more students in this class..."

"Both?"

Mr. Firay nodded. "Yeah. I heard they're identical twins."

"Really?"

"Really, Daphne," he told me, rolling his eyes. "Are you trying to make that your catchphrase?"

I blushed. Again. "No."

"So will you do it for me?"

"Sure," I responded with a nod. "So, you just want them here?"

"Yeah. We'll have someone else to show them to their other classes."

"All right."

He reached out to ruffle my hair. "Thank you, Daphne."

I pulled his hand off my head, but I didn't let go. "You don't have to thank me...Mr. Firay." Before he could say anything back, I let go of his hand quickly, and dashed out of the room. He called after me, but I ignored it, chuckling quietly.

It was only a minute walk to the front office. I smoothed down my hair and checked myself in the reflection of the window on the door before entering. When I felt I looked presentable, I pushed open the door, heading inside.

"_Ow!_"

Surprised, I immediately yanked the door back, hoping whoever I had hit with the door wasn't too hurt. "I'm so sorry! Are you okay?"

A young man with messy, pecan colored hair was rubbing his head, looking down at the floor. "Yeah, I'm fine. Would it kill you to not use all your force to open a door?"

"I'm so sorry," I apologized profusely. My face was heating up. "I'll try not to next time."

The male before me finally looked up, and I found myself looking into a pair of multicolored eyes. They were either green with blue, or blue with green. Either way, they were an unusual color -just like Mr. Firay's. They widened for a split-second before narrowing at me. The owner of the eyes was a good foot taller than me, crossing his arms. My eyes were attracted to his shirt -it was a logo of the band I really liked.

"Jackson!" a new voice, considerably more feminine, snapped. "You don't have to be so rude!"

"She hit me with a freakin' door!" he responded back, just as surly.

"By accident! Gosh!"

Following Jackson's gaze, my eyes landed on a girl who bore a striking resemblance to Jackson. She had medium length pecan colored hair, cut into a really cute style, with her bangs cut just above her eyes -eyes that were the same unusual color as Jackson's. The only different was that she was about my height. And she was wearing a skirt, even though it was the middle of winter.

She froze when her eyes landed on me, but then a bright smile spread across her face. "I'm Julianne," she greeted, sticking her hand out. "But I like to be called Anna."

I took her hand into mine, shaking it slowly. "Um, nice to meet you, Anna. I'm Daphne. Are you two the new students?"

"Unfortunately," Jackson muttered, shaking his hair out of his face. "Are you here to help us get us to our next class?"

"Um, yeah," I responded awkwardly. "Um...ready to go?"

"Yep!" Anna chirped, locking her arm with mine. "Lead the way, Diana!"

"It's Daphne," I corrected her, feeling a pang of annoyance. Mr. Firay had called the other Daphne, Diana, at one point. I didn't want anyone to mistake my name either. ...How do you get Diana from Daphne anyways?

Anna sent me a sheepish look. "Sorry, Daphne."

"It's fine," I responded, offering her a small smile. "Mr. Firay is waiting, so let's go."

"Mr. Firay?" Jackson repeated.

"He's the Home Ec teacher," I said, looking at him over my shoulder. "He's...nice."

Anna made a face. "I hated Home Ec in the last school I was in. No doubt I'm going to hate this teacher."

I smiled slightly. I thought of a similar thing once upon a time. But now I knew better, and it was quite the opposite. I loved them. Well, one in particular. A certain narcissistic, blackmailing, magical being.

When we entered the classroom, he was nowhere to be seen. A frown swept over my face. "Mr. Firay?"

"Oh, what's this?" Anna cried in an excited voice, picking up a glass with some type of red liquid.

"I don't think-"

"Don't touch that!"

My eyes snapped to Mr. Firay, who suddenly appeared at the threshold of the supply room. Our gazes met for a brief moment until I heard the sound of breaking glass, and felt something hot on my hand. I cried out in pain, automatically pulling my hand to my chest.

"I'm sorry!" Anna apologized, sounding panicked.

Mr. Firay hurried towards me, quickly taking my hand in his. I tried to pull it back; whatever oil had gotten onto my skin was making it burn painfully. Without saying anything, he rubbed the liquid off with the back of his sleeve while pulling me towards the sink.

"Keep your hand under the water," he ordered, thrusting my hand under the faucet and turning it on. "Then go to the nurse for some bandages."

"What is it?"

"Nothing too horrible," Mr. Firay assured me, furrowing his eyebrows, "as long as you don't have an allergic reaction."

"I'm so sorry!"

Both Mr. Firay and I turned to look at Anna, who seemed pale. When her eyes landed on Mr. Firay, her mouth opened agape.

"It's fine," he said to her, frowning. "Just don't touch-"

"You're hot," she commented, cutting him off. "Like, _really _hot."

I stared at her, thoroughly taken aback by her comments. My gaze then shifted to Mr. Firay who was looking just as surprised as me. Jackson snorted from behind Anna, rolling his eyes.

She shot him an innocent smile. "How old are you? You're way too cute to be older than twenty-five."

"Thank you, but please refrain from making those kinds of comments," Mr. Firay said to her, his grip on my hand tightening.

"Why? It's the truth."

"I'm your teacher."

"A _cute _teacher."

It was hard not to gawk at the girl in front of me. Who knew someone could be so _bold_? Talking to a teacher nevertheless! Mr. Firay gave her an uncomfortable look. I figured it was just because I was here; otherwise, I'm sure his ego would be the size of Mexico. (Just like Puck.) Well, it probably was, but he was hiding it.

"You shouldn't say that." Mr. Firay finally let go of my hand, pulling his hand out of the running water.

Anna pouted. "It's just an opinion."

"He'll get in trouble," I snapped.

Both of the two looked at me in surprise. I flushed, adverting my gaze. Not good. I couldn't act jealous in front of everyone.

"Jealous," Jackson coughed, but I was the only one who seemed to hear it.

I sent him a warning look. "I-I'm going to the nurse now," I muttered, turning off the water.

"Wait, Daphne-"

I looked over my shoulder.

"I'm sorry," Anna apologized once more as I pulled open the door. "I really hope your hand is okay."

I paused to throw her a quick smile. "Thanks."

Mr. Firay sent me one last meaningful look before I closed the classroom door. Annoyed with myself, I balled up my hands into fists as I marched down the hallway towards the nurse's office. The bell rang, signaling the end of lunch.

How could I have snapped at Anna? The new girl? She was just stating the truth. It wasn't a new thing that girls found Mr. Firay attractive. But it was surprising that she'd say it so casually. As if telling a teacher they were hot was a _normal _thing. I hated to admit it, but that was pretty impressive. I'd never have the guts to do that -I barely even had the guts to kiss Mr. Firay, even though we were dating.

Someone suddenly knocked me off my feet, slamming into me. I landed painfully on my butt when I fell to the floor. Wincing, I slowly pushed myself into a kneeling position.

"Daphne?"

I immediately froze, recognizing the voice. I slowly turned my head upwards to see a familiar green-eyed, shaggy-haired brunette. "Sage?"

He offered me his hand and I took it, letting him pull me to my feet in one swift motion. He grinned, taking me in. "Yo! It's been a while, hasn't it?"

"It's been like a week," I pointed out. "What are you doing here? It's school hours."

Sage shrugged. "Nothing much. Where's Matt?"

"Teaching," I responded, narrowing my eyes suspiciously. "You've been here a lot lately."

"No I haven't."

"Yes you have."

"Have I told you how pretty you are lately?"

"Sage."

"You have such pretty brown hair, it's so soft," he commented, picking up a strand with his pointer finger and thumb. "I'm jealous."

"Sage."

"Your eyes sparkle like the ocean-"

I gave him a flat look, grabbing his hand, and pulling it away from me. "Stop avoiding the subject. And my eyes are hazel, thank you very much."

"You're no fun."

"I never see you with Matt here. Are you transferring here or something? Did you not graduate high school?" I joked.

Sage smirked.

I blanked at him. "You're kidding."

He laughed at my expression. "I am. I'm not transferring here, Daphne."

A sigh of relief left my lips. "Thank goodness."

"Starting tomorrow, I'm the new gym teacher!"

My jaw dropped and my eyes widened significantly. Surely I had heard Sage wrong...There was no way he could be the gym teacher. He_ had_ to be playing one of his jokes.

"From now on, you should call me Mr. Ross," Sage continued with a wink. "Oh, I can't wait until I see Matt's face..."

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**A/N.** No story is complete without Sage, you know? XD I had a lot of fun writing this -and look! It's before 9:00! Granted, I had an early dismissal from school today (school ended at 12, but that doesn't mean my summer vacation started. Darn.) so I started early. :3 I didn't really write the chapter until today...hee hee.

Anyways, I won't be updating this any time in May just because I still have not replied to all past reviews for FTFT (I don't even think I'll get to it. D: I might just reply to the reviews for the Ch. 65) and like I said, school is almost over, but we're not quite there yet. :D

So, I'd like to know what you think of this new sequel! I can guarantee you -95% of the people here are only reading this because of Sage. Sage just brings a smile to everyone's face, doesn't he? I was trying so hard not to smile while writing about him in the first chapter because my mom was making leche-flan in front of me (and she'd just think I was weird). :3

To end this long A/N, thanks for reading! If you're new to my stories, or have been with me through any of them, thanks so much for taking the time to look at this. :)

An update is expected...June 4? I say expected because I might be on a plane to California at that time, but who knows? :)

~Lara


	2. Chapter o2: Teachers

**A/N. **Now that we've all become comfortable with this new story o' mine, I can say a few words:

Updates are once every week. If I'm thinking this through, this story will last me all year. :D I'm excited, I really am! But I can't say _what day _exactly, since I'm worried I might not be able to keep promises except that I will update on one day each week. It could be a Monday or Thursday or Saturday….I dunno.

I will try to reply to all reviewers before I post each chapter, so I'm a bit more organized. And if I don't reply to your review, please don't be discouraged. I always get a lot of messages –not always reviews that I'd like to respond to, but I can't reply to ALL. Each day should be like, 48 hours or something. I say 48 because, you know, I still have that "4" obsession. XD

I'll try to continue small contests. I'm being pretty unfaithful to the RotD's and QotD's (which will be turning into RotW and QotW), but I'll try to do those every once in a while. Oh! I'll also give out those spoiler question thingamabobbers each time we hit a hundred or a number like 111, 222, 333, etc. And for those who did not use all their spoiler questions in FTFT, I'll let you use the remaining questions here. And there's no expiration date –except when BCC ends, I guess, lol. :D

By the way, Daphne's 18 (sorry, I said she was 17 last chapter :3) so she might swear a little, and that's okay…well, not okay, but…it's not a big deal when she's 18; if she was still 8, I'd get a lot of angry reviews. :3 So, this chapter is rated T for when she talks about a _Bieber_'s House. See what I did there? I'm_ soo_ funny.

Geez, I still talk a lot. :3 Oh well. I'll be replying to anons (I finished replying to those signed in ones! YES!) after this chapter if any of you want to see my responses.

Shout-out to **oah ehm ghee** for being super duper smart! :D You figured two things out and it's only been the first chapter! Whee!

One more thing before you start reading: I still have _no _idea what Daphne should call MSeed/Matt/Mr. Firay. I know when they're in school, it's Mr. Firay. But I still can't decide between MSeed and Matt. I'm trying to write MSeed, but I still feel like writing Matt. Should I have Daphne call him "MSeed" when they're around the other Grimms, and "Matt" like, every day? Suggestions would be helpful! :D

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_Chapter 2: Teachers_

"Come on," I muttered, twisting the key in the ignition.

My car spluttered for a few moments before going quiet again. The red car icon on the dash flashed on and off, warning me that my seatbelt wasn't buckled. Groaning in frustration, I wrenched my key out of the ignition, slamming down on my steering wheel. The horn erupted, making me start.

"Maybe we should have taken my car," Ariana suggested, her breath making moisture in front of her. "Your car sucks. Nothing personal."

I turned to give her an exasperated look. "I know, but usually it at least turns on."

"Maybe it's too cold."

"We're going to be late," I complained, smacking my head against the back of my seat. "Damn."

Ariana sighed lightly, reaching over, and taking the key out of my hand. "Let me try," she insisted, putting they key in the ignition again.

"There's no way you can do…" I trailed off as the engine started, my radio coming on a little too loudly. "How did you do that?"

She sent me a small smirk. "Secret."

Rolling my eyes, I snapped my seatbelt, and shifted the car into drive. "You just got lucky."

"Probably."

The trip to school took much longer than it would have if it were Ariana who was driving. She was more comfortable behind the wheel than I was— especially since I only started driving this car about three weeks ago. My parents got it for me as a Christmas present: used and needing a ton of work. At least the heater still worked.

When we were finally parked in the student parking, I cut the engine, quickly getting out of the car and locking it. Ariana had our backpacks, and she tossed mine to me as we hurried towards the building. When I tried to push open the door, I found it was already locked. Ariana pounded on it, pressing her face against the glass to try looking for someone who could open it.

"Did the bell ring?"

Ariana shook her head. "No, we still have five minutes."

I quickly joined her in her pounding. Thanks to my car, I had been late four times in the past three weeks already. If I was late again, it was detention for me.

"What are you two doing?"

Immediately Ariana and I twirled around in surprise. Standing before us was Mr. Firay, an amused expression on his face. Ariana and I exchanged embarrassed looks before I dropped my head, feeling my cheeks burn.

"Morning, Mr. Firay," Ariana chirped, recovering swiftly. "We're locked out."

"No you're not," he responded, sounding interested. "That door's always locked, remember?"

It was quiet for a moment. Now more humiliated than before, I looked up to see Ariana giving me a condescending look. A sheepish smile crossed my face as I forced out a small laugh. "Whoops…"

Mr. Firay chuckled, going over to the open door, and holding it open for us. "You girls better hurry, or you'll be late."

Ariana hastened towards the door, making a face. "Thanks, Mr. Firay."

"Yeah, thanks," I muttered, trying not to make eye contact with him as I passed through the door.

Before I had even taken three steps, someone grabbed the back of my bag, pulling me to a stop. "Hold on, Daphne."

"Mustardseed, I'll be late," I protested.

"That's okay."

I turned to frown at him. "You're a teacher. You shouldn't say that."

He grinned back at me. "I'm not your homeroom teacher, so that's okay."

"Mustardseed…"

Mr. Firay held up his hands defensively. "I just want to make sure your hand is all right."

"Oh," I responded lamely, blinking at him. "Yeah, it's fine. Thanks."

He ruffled my hair with his hand. "Don't thank me. I was just worried."

My face heated up again as I pushed his hand away. "Don't do that."

"Daphne, you're so cute."

"D-don't say that!"

"Say what? Daphne? You're? So? Cute?"

Mr. Firay smirked as I glowered at him, my face hot. "I'm going inside now," I informed him, pushing open the next set of doors. "See you later."

He quickly caught up to me, grabbing my backpack again. "Five, four, three—"

"What are you doing?"

A loud ring sounded from overhead. "One," Mr. Firay finished with a grin.

"Mr. Firay!" I cried angrily, twirling around to glare at him.

He cocked an eyebrow. "Hm?"

"Erg, Matt –Mustardseed! Ugh, now I have detention!"

Mr. Firay started laughing again as I fumed at him. The hall we were in was completely empty, so the sound echoed off the walls. Irritated, I stomped down the hallway away from him. He easily caught up, but this time didn't pull me to a stop.

"Daphne, I have to stay after school today to correct Wednesday's test," he started, falling into step beside me. "Do you want to stay after with me?"

My heart began to beat faster by just hearing him ask that. It was almost comical how easily Mr. Firay could set my heart racing. "I want to."

"Then after do you want to come to my house? Sage insisted on coming over today for some reason, so he'll be there too. But I was planning to invite you over first."

"Really?"

Mr. Firay rolled his eyes. "See? You are trying to make that your catch phrase."

Flushing, I shook my head. "No I'm not!"

"Okay, Daphne."

"Matt!"

"You should probably get to homeroom now," he suggested, giving me a gentle push on my backpack. "I'll see you later."

Frowning again, I turned my head to look at him. "Fine."

He smiled. "And by the way, since it's a new semester, your tardy count gets reset."

Without another word he began walking in the opposite direction. I stared after him for a moment, my mouth hanging. Today was the new semester— I forgot. But that meant that on the first day I already got a tardy. Making a face, I started off for my homeroom. Mr. Firay was definitely going to get it later.

The first part of the day passed by slowly. The only good thing that happened was that instead of having health second period, it had switched to a study hall with the new semester. When lunch came by, I sauntered into the cafeteria, glad that I could see Wendell and Ariana. My happiness was cut short when I realized someone was sitting in my usual seat at our table— and not just any someone. It was Anna. Next to her, in Ariana's usual seat, was Jackson.

Ariana and Wendell were sitting on the other side of them, so I went to that side and took a seat next to Wendell. He grinned at me in greeting before returning his attention to Anna.

"Hey, Daphne," Anna greeted me, sending me a flashy smile.

Hesitantly I smiled back. "Hi."

"You didn't tell me you had such a handsome friend." She pointed to Wendell with her fork, which had a piece of grilled chicken on the end.

Wendell grinned at her. "Daphne's preoccupied these days."

I jammed my elbow into his side. "Shut up."

"Preoccupied by what?" Jackson asked, suddenly looking interested in the conversation.

My eyes flickered to him for a second. He gave me a curious look and I dropped my gaze, stopping at his shirt. Once again he was wearing a shirt from one of my favorite bands, except instead of a t-shirt, it was a thermal shirt today. When I realized I was staring I quickly looked away, hoping no one would notice.

"That was a pretty lingering look, Daphne," Anna teased, ruining my hopes. "Are you interested?"

Jackson rolled his eyes. "Shut up, Anna."

"I'm not," I stated smoothly. "I just like the band on his shirt."

"Or do you— oh my god! Who's that?"

My head snapped in the direction that Anna was looking. An underclassman I didn't recognize was by the vending machine, staring at the items inside.

"That's Bobby," Ariana informed Anna. "He's a jun—"

"He's hot."

Ariana abruptly shut her mouth, looking surprised. Anna was grinning excitedly, staring at Bobby. Jackson rolled his eyes, turning his attention back to his lunch. Mystified, I studied Anna for a moment. Did she say that about everyone? If so, then her saying it to Mr. Firay could have meant nothing.

"Hey, Anna," Wendell started, pulling her attention back to him. "Did you take recreational games?"

"Yep!"

"What period?'

"Sixth."

"So do I!"

Ariana glanced at me, frowning the tiniest bit. "Daphne, when do you have it?"

"Sixth," I informed her.

"Really?" Anna interjected, sounding excited. "That's awesome!"

I turned my attention to Anna, slightly taken aback. She was excited to have a gym class with me?

Now Jackson spoke up. "Same here."

"And me too," Ariana added, her eyes flickering to Jackson for a moment. "It's going to be like a party."

"But we have Ms. Apple-Smith," Wendell muttered. "Then it will be more like hell."

"Actually, she had to take her pregnancy leave," Ariana informed him, grinning. "We have a substitute gym teacher. I don't know who though."

I blinked in realization. After Sage told me he was going to be the gym teacher, I figured he was lying and let it drop. There was no way he was old enough to be a gym teacher. But now it made sense. He wasn't the gym teacher— he was the _substitute_ gym teacher. _My _substitute gym teacher. A small groan left my lips.

"What is it?" Wendell questioned, turning to frown at me. "Are you okay?"

I hesitated for a moment. It was best not to ruin the surprise for them. "Yeah, I'm just hungry. I'm going to get food."

"Okay."

Pushing myself up from the table, I headed towards the a la carte line. Fortunately, there were barely any people in it and I made it to the front quickly. Just as I was about to enter the kitchen area, someone cut in front of me, gently bumping me out of the way. Surprised, I opened my mouth to complain, but shut it when I realized who it was.

"I heard teachers get cutting privileges," Sage commented with a grin. "I thought I'd take advantage of it."

"You're a substitute."

"Same thing."

"Has Matt seen you yet?" I questioned, following him into the kitchen.

Sage grinned widely. "Nope. I plan on visiting him after this. Do you want to come?"

Grabbing a bagel off the rack, I bit my lip, debating. As much as I wanted to see Mr. Firay's reaction to Sage, I didn't want to make anyone suspicious by going to his room every day. But maybe if I were with Sage, people would think I was actually with him. It wouldn't matter if people thought we were dating, right?

"Okay," I finally responded, grinning at him. "I want to see his reaction."

Together Sage and I set off towards Mr. Firay's room. I texted Ariana so she would know where I went. Sage suggested I should go in first, so I did, trying to keep my face straight. Mr. Firay was at his desk. He looked up in surprise when I entered, and a questioning look came onto his face when he realized it was I.

"Is something wrong?" he asked as I stopped by the edge of his desk.

It took all I had not laugh, but a smile still slipped onto my face. "Nope. I just brought you some soup."

He raised an eyebrow. "Why?"

"I thought you liked this kind of soup…"

Mr. Firay shook his head, gesturing for me to give it to him. "No, I do. Thank you, Daphne."

"No problem… Say, have you heard about the new substitute gym teacher?"

He shook his head. "No, why?"

"I'm surprised you haven't heard anything from your other students," I responded honestly. When Mr. Firay arrived here, it was the talk of every grade.

"I tend not to really listen to them while they gossip," he responded with a small smile. "But I'm going to guess he's easy on the eyes? Are you going to ditch me for him?"

"No!"

Mr. Firay smirked at my immediate denial. A blush spread across my cheeks— that was an involuntary response.

"I have to admit though, I feel like I know him from somewhere," I told Mr. Firay, forcing my blush away. "He's the type of person who would be best friends with you."

Mr. Firay furrowed his eyebrows. "What?"

"I just get the feeling from him."

"You're a strange girl, Daphne."

"I actually invited him to come see you."

Now Mr. Firay looked surprise. "Why?"

The door opened as if on cue. Mr. Firay's head snapped towards it. His face blanked for a moment as he took in Sage, who was grinning like a maniac.

"Hey, Matt!" he greeted.

"You're kidding me," Mr. Firay groaned, letting his head fall back on his chair. "Daphne, pinch me to wake me up."

Sage walked over to the desk, humming happily. "Or you could lay a gentle kiss against his lips."

I sent him a warning look, feeling my face grow warm. "Sage. We are a secret. Do you know what a secret is?"

"Noun. Something that is kept, or meant to be kept, unknown or unseen by others."

Mr. Firay rolled his eyes. "You don't need to be a smart ass."

Sage shrugged. "Hey, it could be an adjective too."

"Sage."

"Relax, I'm not here to reveal your secret to the school," Sage responded, shaking his head. "I'm here to be a substitute teacher!"

Mr. Firay turned to me. "Daphne, please tell me he's doesn't have you in one of his classes."

I half-smiled back. "Sixth period."

"Seriously?" Sage said, sounding enthusiastic. "I've always wanted to see Daphne in short-shorts."

My eyes widened in surprise. "What?"

"Sage," Mr. Firay growled threateningly. "I suggest you shut your mouth before I do it for you."

"Jealous?"

"No."

Sage gave him a skeptical look. "Sure."

Mr. Firay returned it with a hard one. "I don't need to be. Daphne is dating me, not you."

"Um, you know, Sage. Ariana is going to be in the class too," I interjected, trying to stop their bickering.

Mr. Firay smirked. "Better be careful, Sage. Ariana knows your secret."

Sage flushed. "I don't shop at Victoria's Secret!"

"Sure."

"I don't!"

Shaking my head, I sat down at the desk closest to Mr. Firay's desk— naturally, it was my regular desk. While he and Sage continued to bicker, I began to eat my lunch. It was strange to see Mr. Firay act so normally at school. Usually he was at least a little reserved; he still had his outer persona to keep up after all. However with Sage here, he seemed to have dropped his whole guard. It was kind of cute.

Eventually Mr. Firay got tired of Sage and banished him from the room. He slumped onto his desk, heaving a long, heavy sigh. "You knew he was going to be a teacher here, didn't you?"

Smiling in amusement, I moved back over to his desk. "I just found out yesterday."

"Well at least I don't have to deal with him in a gym class."

My smile dropped. "Don't remind me…"

Mr. Firay looked up from his desk now, smiling smugly. "You know he's going to pick on you."

"And my short-shorts," I muttered, cursing myself for not switching out my gym clothes.

"You should wear sweatpants from now on."

I raised my eyebrow. "Why?"

"Because."

"Because why?"

"Just because."

I smirked. "So you are jealous."

Mr. Firay turned away from me, crossing his arms. "Well, I have a right to be."

"You're so cute," I told him, grinning widely.

He rolled his eyes. "Don't call be cute, Daphne."

"Is that not manly enough for you? How about adorable?"

"Daphne, stand beside me for a moment."

Intrigued, I obeyed his command, and moved to stand next to him. He stood up as well, now forcing me to look up in order to meet his eyes. Before I knew what was happening, he had my face in his hands. As I opened my mouth to protest he swiftly placed a quick kiss on my lips. My face flamed as he dropped his hands, looking smug.

"D-don't do that in school!"

He shrugged. "Don't call me adorable."

"It's a compliment!"

He flicked my nose, making me wince. "I prefer being called the handsomest, hottest, most dashing person in the world."

"You're so narcissistic."

"I love you."

Caught off guard, his words sent my heart into a frenzy. My face grew hotter again, and I looked away from him. "I love—"

My words were cut off when the door to his classroom suddenly opened. Mr. Firay and I took a step back away from each other at once. Once again my heart was racing, but this time not due to Mr. Firay. That was too close. When I finally turned to the door, I saw Jackson and Anna coming in.

"Good afternoon, Mr. Firay," Anna greeted, her famous grin on her face. "I see this is where Daphne disappeared to."

"I had to finish my test," I quickly made up, sending Mr. Firay a panicked look. "Lunch was my only free time."

Jackson shot me a skeptical look. It was clear he didn't believe my lie. Anna, on the other hand, looked like she did.

"If I don't finish a test, can I come in during lunch and finish it?" she questioned, giving Mr. Firay an innocent look.

Mr. Firay cleared his throat, frowning at her. "It has to be a last resort."

"That works."

I grimaced in annoyance. Could she make herself at least a little less obvious? Jackson seemed to be having the same thoughts as I was, because he was glaring at his twin. She was oblivious to this though.

"How come you two are here so early?" Mr. Firay finally asked, breaking the awkward silence that had settled in.

"We were told to leave early so we wouldn't get lost," Anna responded, walking to the back of the classroom where he seat was. "Not that it's that hard to find."

"I see."

Frowning, I turned away from Anna and found myself looking at Jackson again. The corners of his mouth twitched slightly, as if he was trying not to grin. This made my frown grow deeper. Jackson seemed like the observant type. Mr. Firay and I would really have to be careful around him.

* * *

**A/N. **Umm…QotW: What does Sage look like to you? I mean, I sometimes imagine him as Alex Pettyfer with brown hair, and other times he looks like Chace Crawford (not really, haha), and _other times_, he's a blonde with green eyes and freakin' looks like Puck's twin. So, does he have black hair in your mind? Dreadlocks? What? :D

Review Replies:

: You think so? I'll have to ask others if they think it's old, too…Hahah, I like fribble, but can it replace _olive? _Obviously, if you don't like something, you need to substitute it. Fribble is a great word, but can you make up a word that replaces olive? Thanks so much for your suggestion! I shall use fribble in the future!

_alyssum_: (Cool name, by the way) Haha, yes, I do not live in California. I live on the exact opposite side. :D Hahaha, Sage…you can't help but smile when reading about him. Oh, really? Well, I'm glad I updated early! :D Aw, no problem. Thanks for your review!

_PenguinLoverGurl_: Hahaha, thanks! I totally know what you mean: "It's just…ya know, like really…ugh." XDD I used to have bangs, but now I don't, haha. Sage is epical. Hahah, I get what you mean –yes, some of these chapters will be mine. I mean, in her version, Daphne doesn't have a sister name Sabrina who is married to Puck who is MSeed's sister, so I have to make the chapters for that. :D You know that snowball fight in FTFT? Mine. That scene where Daphne comes home and Puck shoots her with a Nerf Gun? Mine. :D Oh wow, (long sentence, haha!) that sounds fun! Oh that's all right –you reviewed, so I'm happy. :D Actually, you'll be seeing me earlier, haha. :D It was very long, but I'm glad you took the time to appreciate BCC.

_Killer bunnies_: *dances with you* Heehee. Sarcasm is great. :D When I showed the chapter to one of my friends, she snorted –HA! The funniest thing you could've heard. True –and we know Matt loves her, so he won't ditch her. Sage is…I've praised him too many times. He's just Sagetastical. Thanks! I get out of school this Friday. Actually, I could've skipped this week, but there's a volleyball game against the teachers on Friday and I'm pumped to defeat them. _YOU WILL LOSE THIS YEAR, VICE PRINCIPAL REYNOLDS!..._Ahem. Sorry about that.

_RikiGirl_: Aw, thanks so much! Wow, you're first review! This must be a very special review then! :D I'm so very very glad you loved FTFT. It means a lot. :D You're from California? Cool! Maybe I'll see you! ^^ And I know there are gravy people there. My aunt and her family live there and I always visit them! :D Lol, that's not a lame comment! I'm glad that you want me to have a great day! I hope you have a wacktastical day!

_oah ehm ghee_: I'm glad you think so! :D Oooooh! Wow! You're smart! Don't say anything, though (I bet people are going to look at your review to see what I'm talking about, though, haha). As for the Everafter assumption…you are not over thinking it. :D

_Yellow.r0se_ _NLI_: Aw, thanks so much! I tried to fix as many errors as I could –I'm glad it paid off. Thanks again! Hahah, I like making people's days! You didn't have to wait that long, of course. I seem to have blessed you with an early update. :D Thanks again!

_Airene Archerway NLI_: You're the second, but that's okay. :D …A contract? For what? I mean, if you're willing to tell me. :D Hee hee! I'm so glad you'll be reading! I fixed that error –thanks for pointing it out! :D Hahah, don't get too cozy with Anna or Jackson. *points to the left* A bit of foreshadowing. :D No problem! :D You asked for it, so I gave you a partial dedication! I hope you don't mind I had you share. :3 Thanks again!

_Autumn_: Hahaha, thanks! :D Yes, Sage will be an amazing gym teacher. :D Thanks again! Hmmm…I won't tell you if he's going to do good or bad to the story, but just don't get too attached to him. :D WE SHALL DOMINATE! We'll run the world!...Lol…

_Now_, I shall see you all June 4th! :D I just updated because I have no school today.

Happy Memorial Day!

~Lara


	3. Chapter o3: Gym Class

**EDIT: OHHH MMYYY GGOSSSHH TTHEEE IIMMMAAGGEEE MMMAAANNNAAGGGEEERRR WWWOOOORRKKKSSS.  
**

**A/N.** You guys have no idea how giddy I'm feeling right now! 50 reviews! Yay! :D Ah, sorry, I'm really greedy when it comes to reviews. But really, they always make my day! During video class and computer class (different classes even though they might sound the same-ish) last week, my teachers let me use the computer (my video one let me take out my phone and gave me the school's wifi password, though -Mrs. Stewart, you are so awesome!) so I checked FF a lot. Thanks so much again! I say thanks too many times so...Danke! Maraming salamat! Arigato (ありがとう) ! Gracias! Grazie! Merci! شكرا! (Did I get that one right?)

Heehee, I loved all your responses to the QotW! I had two winners, though. **Autumn and Longlivethecookiemonster** won for the giving me the response that made me laugh: "(Sage has) Buck teeth. He still looks cute though. :)" and "Sage looks exactly like Shaggy from Scooby Doo, except with brown hair...Sometimes, Mr. Firay is Fred, and all perfect...Daphne is Daphne. And I have no clue who Velma is...If you don't know what Scooby Doo is, shame on you." I loved all of them, of course! I liked -forgot who said it, sorry :3- the review that imagined Sage with black hair. :D That was an interesting picture.

**RotW:** I'm not in a lagoon, but I'm in a stream. I'm not in a television set, but I'm in an electronic appliance. I'm not in a house, but I'm in an apartment. What am I?

And don't even try to copy and paste this into a search engine to cheat for the answer. I altered the words around and used synonyms so the answers won't pop up. You'll have to use your brain (unless you've heard one similar to this before)! I'll announce how the riddle really looks next chapter. :)

Now...sigh...I must announce a dedication. She forced me to write this so just know I'm not really praising her. ;D

_This is a shout-out to the girl who I hate, but will miss because she's leaving me for this fancy, $17,360 school, but I love her in the non-creepy way, and she's the -supposedly- 'coolest person ever' and my favorite writer besides FanFiction writers, Rick Riordan, Michael Buckley, and JL, and she is so awesome because she has such an obsession with Selena Gomez that makes her beast, and she's such a cool singer and would've Mattstarred in our school play and likes eating pretzels. Her name is **Casey**. Who is not a boy. Nor is she British._

Dang. Long sentences! Hope you like it, Slytherin-loving, Athena-loving CLB-loving, Book-loving, Pretzel-eating girl. Sofie, Kate, Maggie, and I will miss you so much! (I know you're reading because I wrote on your binder that I'd post the dedication today. ;D)

Okay, now here's your chapter! I think you'll really like it. :D

* * *

_Chapter 3: Gym Class_

"Come on, Daphne!" Ariana cried, yanking on my arm.

Shaking my head, I planted my feet firmly on the ground so she couldn't pull me closer to the gym door. "No! I'm sick—"

"You were perfectly fine in Mr. Firay's class!"

"That's because… That's because…"

"What? His penetrating gaze heals you?"

I rolled my eyes as Ariana snickered at her own joke. "I really don't feel good, Ariana."

"Too bad."

With one vigorous pull, Ariana sent me stumbling forwards. She took the advantageous moment to quickly wrench open the gym door, roughly throw me through it, and swiftly close it behind us. Immediately I tried to leave, but Ariana stood immobile in front of the door.

"You're not going to make me face the new gym teacher by myself, are you?" she demanded, crossing her arms.

I returned her expression with a miffed one. Instead of telling Ariana Sage was the new gym teacher, I figured I'd let her find out for herself. My plan was to feign sickness so I wouldn't have to go. Ariana was now ruining that plan.

"Just change," Ariana ordered, pushing me further into the locker room. "I'm sure he or she won't be that bad."

Sighing deeply in resignation, I allowed Ariana to push me to our lockers. A bunch of girls were already changed and now heading up the stairs, while some were still throwing on t-shirts and gym shorts. Opening my locker, I pulled out my bag of gym clothing, regretting not packing sweatpants for backup. If Sage said one word to me, I'd punch him as soon as school was out…

"Hi Daphne! Hi Ariana!"

I quickly yanked my shirt the rest of the way off my head, turning to see Anna standing behind me, beaming. "Hey."

"Do either one of you have a pair of gym pants I can borrow? I didn't know we had to bring our own…"

As I shook my head, Ariana gave her an affirmative answer. Anna turned her attention to Ariana, her smile growing broader. I watched as Ariana produced a plain white t-shirt and our school's black sweatpants. My eyes widened when they landed on them. Ariana had sweatpants!

"Ariana—"

"Here you go!" Ariana chirped, handing off her extra gym clothes to Anna. "Sorry they're sweatpants."

My heart plummeted at once. Scowling, I turned back to my locket to pull out my gym shorts. I should have asked Ariana earlier. Anna could have worn my gym clothing. Reluctantly I stripped out of my jeans and into my gym shorts, now very aware of how short they actually were.

Anna and Ariana started up the stairs first. I followed along slowly, taking my time with each stair, taking extra care not to slip on the dust. Not that there was dust— it was just in case. When I finally pushed open the door to the gym, I braced myself for Sage's smirk and teasing gaze. However, Sage was nowhere in sight. The students were running around amuck in the gym. The boys were playing with the mats— doing flips off the bleachers onto them or belly-flopping. One student was even playing basketball with his shoe, trying to throw it through the hoop.

"Jackson! Jackson over here!" Anna cried, waving at her twin enthusiastically. "Whose gym clothes did you borrow?"

My eyes followed the young man with pecan colored hair as he slowly started coming towards Anna, Ariana, and myself. His gaze met mine and he smiled mysteriously. I blinked at him, not sure what his smile meant.

"Hey, Ariana," he greeted when he grew close enough. "Hi, Daphne."

"Hello," Ariana and I chorused, her tone chipper, my tone wary.

Anna squinted her eyes at her brother's gym shirt. "Isn't that your shirt?"

Once again, Jackson was wearing a shirt from a band I liked, except this one was a thermal. He nodded, looking down at it. "I'm not stupid like you and I figured we'd have to bring our own clothes."

"I'm not stupid," Anna protested, crossing her arms.

Ariana sent me an amused look and I pressed my lips together to stop myself from laughing.

"Hey Daphne," Jackson started, turning his attention to me. "Can I ask you something?"

For some reason, anxiety filled me. It took me a moment to wet my mouth enough in order to reply. "What?"

"It's about—"

"Jackson!" Anna hissed, sending a fist straight into her brother's chest.

Jackson's eyes shot open in surprise and he took a step back, wincing. His hand shot up to the spot where Anna had punched him and he rubbed it. "What the hell was that for?"

"Keep your mouth shut!"

"It's just a question!"

"A stupid question!"

Jackson gave her an impatient look. "It's not like asking her is going to get her killed."

"It's not worth it," Anna snapped. "Just drop it."

Ariana and I exchanged bewildered looks. What were they going on about? What did Jackson want to ask me? The nervous feeling returned again and I gave Jackson an uncomfortable look. He frowned at me, his eyes narrowing slightly.

"I… I'm going to get a drink," I muttered, moving around Ariana towards the edge of the gym.

My heart thudded in my chest as I jogged to the water fountain. Jackson's words echoed in my mind. It's not like asking her is going to get her killed. That hit too close to home— especially after the gang thing. Did he know about that or something? What did he want to ask? Part of me was tremendously curious, but the other half figured staying unaware of the question would be safer. Maybe he just wanted to know my favorite color. Or maybe he wanted to know how Bryant ended up in jail…

Shaking my head as if to clear my thoughts, I leaned down to take a drink of water. I was getting way too ahead of myself. Anna and Jackson didn't know anything. He was probably just curious about the biology homework or something. Mr. Firay wasn't exactly good at explaining things. The thought brought a smile to my face. At least it was one of his charm points. Even though it made the rest of the class extremely irritated.

Just as I started returning to where Ariana, Anna, and Jackson were, the door from the boys locker room opened. I froze, watching as a familiar young man with blonde hair appeared, dressed in a pair of black sweatpants and a tight-fitting white shirt. Sage. Luckily, he didn't notice I was right behind him. Keeping as quiet as I could, I followed a few steps behind him as he moved towards Ariana and the others. The people in the gym quickly began assembling there as well. Sage stopped dead in front of Ariana.

"Nice," he commented and Ariana's face flushed.

"You're hot," Anna blurted, her eyes widening in surprise.

Since Sage's back was turned to me, I couldn't see his reaction, but I figured he looked as surprised as the students in front of them. I stared at Anna in disbelief. She really did say that to everyone. Ariana shot Anna a frown, but quickly returned her attention to Sage and a silly grin came onto her face. I couldn't help but grin at her. No matter what Mr. Firay said, I thought Ariana and Sage would be cute together.

"Where's Daphne?" Sage asked, moving his hands to his hips. "I swear she was going to be in this class."

Jackson's eyes snapped to me, a small smirk growing on his face. "I do believe she's right behind you."

I sent Jackson a glare just as Sage twirled around. A huge grin spread across his face and his eyes swept over me quickly. Flushing, I glowered at him, crossing my arms over my chest.

"Wait until I tell Matt how cute you are—"

"Sage!" I hissed, cutting him off. "You can't say that! Shh!"

He looked offended, but lowered his voice. "I'm just complimenting you."

"You can't. You're a teacher now."

Sage made a face. "That's no fun."

"Sage, just take attendance, or something," I suggested, moving around him to join the crowd of students that were on his other side.

Anna nudged me in the shoulder. "You know him?"

"Kind of," I admitted.

"Hello class," Sage started, sounding put off. "My name's Sage, but it's Mr. Ross to all of you. Since I'm your teacher and I have to make you do that."

Rolling my eyes, I turned away from him. He was so immature.

"Why are all the teachers at this school so hot?" Anna whispered, her eyes never leaving Sage.

I grimaced at her. "Anna, don't say that…"

"Why not? It's just my opinion."

"Still."

She smirked at me. "Aw, does someone have a crush?"

My eyes widened. "What? No—"

"Mr. Firay, huh?" Anna commented, cutting me off. "I kind of figured. It seems like every girl has a crush on him. Not that I can blame them. He's cute."

I stared at her in disbelief. Was I that easy to see through? She caught my look and smiled at me.

"Don't worry, I won't say anything to anyone," she assured me. "Though I doubt anyone would care too much anyway. After all, he's a teacher and teachers can't date students."

"That's true," I responded with a nervous laugh. "It's just a silly infatuation… No big deal."

Anna nodded her head. "Right. But if we were talking about our gym teacher, it's a different story. He's hot and I highly doubt he's that much older than us."

Ariana turned towards us now, raising an eyebrow. "He's still a teacher."

"I heard he has a girlfriend," I blurted out.

Both AnnaJackson's and Ariana's eyes widened. I returned the look, just as surprised as my outburst as them. Hopefully Ariana would realize I was lying. After a moment, Ariana refocused her attention on Sage. Anna was still staring at me.

"Really?" she asked.

After a second, I nodded. "That's just what, um… Yeah…"

Anna furrowed her eyebrows in confusion, but said nothing more. I quickly turned away from her so she wouldn't be tempted to say anything more. Sage was still prattling on about the course outline and expectations, his eyes darting to either Ariana or myself every now and again. Frowning, I stared back at him, crossing my arms. Why did Sage have to be attractive? Was I being unfair by lying to Anna? My shoulders sagged and I sighed quietly.

"Alright! Then at Daphne's request, we'll start by doing three laps around the gym!"

A groan swept through the class and my head snapped to Sage. He grinned at me, jerking his head to the side as a gesture for me to start running. The rest of the class slowly started to jog while I stood in place, scowling at him.

"Nice going, Daphne," Daniel commented, elbowing me as he passed me.

Ignoring him, I waited until everyone had gone ahead to speak. "Sage—"

"If you don't start running I might have to give you double laps," he sang in a taunting tone. "Chop, chop!"

After giving him an irked look, I started jogging away from him. Sage snickered loudly, and I resisted the urge to turn around and punch him. Jogging wasn't really my forte, so by the time I was finished with my three laps, everyone else had already finished and caught their breath. Huffing, I leaned backwards, placing my hands on my hips.

"Okay," Sage started, clapping his hands together. "The course says we're supposed to start with baseball, but personally I think that's boring, so we aren't starting with that."

For the first time, I was happy Sage was the gym teacher. The only sport that I was worse at than baseball was volleyball. Shuddering at the memories, I tried to repress them. Definitely some of the most embarrassing times in my life.

"Today I don't have the equipment for I want to do, so we'll just play dodge ball," Sage continued, making me grow even fonder of him. Dodge ball was practically a free pass out of gym because you could just stand in the back or get yourself out if you didn't want to play.

"What are we starting tomorrow then?" Anna spoke up, beaming at him. "Something fun?"

Sage grinned. "Oh yes."

Now curiosity was getting the best of me. "What is it?"

"Something Matt told me that was entertaining," he told me.

Immediately my heart sank. Someone behind me whispered a question about who Matt was. If Mr. Firay was the one who gave Sage the suggestion it only meant one thing…

"Starting tomorrow, we'll be playing volleyball!" Sage announced, looking pleased with himself.

A burst of cheers erupted from behind me as I dropped my head. I should have seen it coming. Sage being my gym teacher could never be a good thing. This was going to be one long semester.

By the time I arrived in Mr. Firay's classroom fifteen minutes after school ended— a precaution we decided would be best to heed— I was nearly asleep on my feet. Mr. Firay was at his desk, focusing intently on the papers in front of him. There was a towering stack of them to his left, and a considerably smaller one to the right. A smile crossed my face as I quietly tiptoed towards his desk, holding my breath tightly. I managed to sneak all the way behind him without being caught. Slowly, I raised my hands up to grab his shoulders.

Without warning he turned in his chair, bringing his arms around my waist, and yanking me towards him. A startled gasp left my lips as I lost my balance and nearly fell over backwards. Mr. Firay chuckled, holding me tighter so I wouldn't fall over. Blushing furiously, I began to struggle out of his grasp.

"Daphne, next time you try to scare me, try opening the classroom door a little more quietly," he suggested, looking up at me with a smirk.

Embarrassed, I quickly looked away. "I—I'll try to remember that…"

He laughed again and let me go. "How did gym class go?"

"Well, thanks to you we're playing volleyball tomorrow," I told him, a frown appearing on my face.

He cocked his head to the side, looking at me with a confused expression. "How is that my fault?"

It took me a second to register his words. Mr. Firay definitely had the cutest confused expression I'd ever seen. "You told Sage stories about me?"

"Oh," he responded with realization. A smile of amusement passed across his face. "I'm sorry, Daphne. But I didn't have anyone else I could talk to about you."

"How much did you talk about me?"

Mr. Firay abruptly looked away, clearing his throat. "Not much."

"Well, I'm sure Sage would tell me if I asked…"

"Okay," Mr. Firay snapped, turning back to me, an uncomfortable expression on his face. "I talked about you a lot. But that was only because Sage would never stop asking me questions about you."

The smile on my face grew wider and I reached out and ruffled Mr. Firay's hair, much like he would do to me all the time. "Aw, you're so cute."

He batted my hand away, shooting me a glare. "Go make me some coffee."

"Now you're getting all defensive!"

"No I'm not!"

I raised an eyebrow. "Is that denial?"

"Daphne."

"I think it was," I commented teasingly, tapping my lips with my finger. "Interesting…"

Mr. Firay narrowed his eyes. "If you don't go make me coffee I'll give you a fifty on your test."

"You can't do that!"

"Watch me."

After a short glaring match, I huffed in defeat, trudging towards the supply closet. "You're a jerk."

"I love you, Daphne."

I paused, feeling my face heat up. For a few moments I tried to think of a clever response, but came up blank. "You too," I finally muttered before quickly slipping into the closet.

As I went about fixing Mr. Firay a cup of coffee, I grinned to myself. It was actually kind of cute how defensive he got when he was embarrassed. I didn't even mind that he ordered me around. When his coffee was done, I brought it to his desk, and set it beside him.

"Thank you," he responded, dragging it closer to him. "Pull up a chair."

Doing as he ordered, I dragged one of the chairs from the lab tables up to his desk and took a seat next to him. He rolled his eyes, reaching over to drag my seat closer to him. I flushed again, but didn't move away.

"I won't bite," he commented with a grin.

I gave him a disapproving look. "What if someone comes in?"

"They can't."

"What do you mean?"

"I locked the door."

A grimace passed my face. "Are you allowed to do that?"

He shrugged. "Probably not. But it's safer this way."

"But—"

"Shh, Daphne. I'm trying to focus on correcting these tests."

Pressing my lips together tightly, I narrowed my eyes at him as he returned to his attention back to the test he was in the middle of correcting, a smug look on his face. His expression soon turned into a serious one as he read the open response questions he assigned, making a face every now and then at something someone wrote. I watched with a small smile, resting my head on my arms on his desk.

Ten minutes later I was finding it hard to stay awake. A yawn escaped my lips and I shut my eyes briefly, letting out a deep sigh. Seconds later I heard the sound of something moving across the desk and then felt something warm against my face. My eyes shot open and I saw Mr. Firay raising an eyebrow at me.

"Tired?" he asked rhetorically.

Nodding in response, I looked down at the half-full mug he had pressed against my face. "You want more?"

He shook his head. "You drink it. You need it more."

I stared at him in surprise, my heart rate increasing the tiniest bit. "Really?"

"There's your catch phrase again," he teased, flicking me in my forehead. "Drink it."

Turning my attention to the mug in front of me, I picked it up with my hands. I stare at it for a moment, my mouth feeling dry. This was the first time Mr. Firay allowed me to drink after him. Maybe it didn't seem like such a huge thing to other people, but to me it was a huge step. Doing my best not to smile, I slowly brought the rim to my lips and took a sip.

"We just had an indirect kiss," Mr. Firay commented, smiling smugly.

Surprised by his comment, I spat out the drink. My face heated up as Mr. Firay burst out laughing, seemingly unaffected by the fact I spit out the coffee on not only him, but also on the test he was in the middle of correcting.

"S-sorry," I apologized, hanging my head bashfully.

"Don't worry about it," he responded. "Your reaction was worth it. And this is your test anyway."

My eyes snapped to the paper and I immediately recognized my clumsy handwriting. All across the front page were drops of coffee, staining the white page. I sighed lightly, staring at the mug in front of me.

"Daphne."

Automatically I turned my head up to Mr. Firay. My eyes widened when I noticed how close he was to me. Only about two inches away. If I just leaned forward in my seat, our lips would touch… A new blush rose to my cheeks as I tried to force away my indecent thoughts. We were still in school. In a locked room… With no one around…

Mr. Firay made the first move. He leaned forwards, just gently brushing his lips against mine. Instead of pulling away like I usually would, I brought my hands to his face so he couldn't move back. After a moment he grinned through the kiss and gripped my hands, removing them from his face.

"You're the one who said no PDA in school," he informed me when I pouted at him.

"You're the one who locked the door."

He chuckled, mussing with my hair. "I'm sorry, Daphne. I really need to finish these tests."

"Am I distracting you?"

"Kind of," he admitted.

"Should I leave?"

Mr. Firay immediately shook his head. "No. If I didn't want you to be here, I wouldn't have asked you to stay. I like having you around."

I smiled at him, a bubbly feeling erupting in my chest. "Aw, that's so cu—"

"Just don't talk."

My smile dropped and I gave him a wry look. He laughed through his nose at my expression before turning back to my test. Letting out another sigh, I left my head fall back on my arms. Mr. Firay was lucky I loved him.

* * *

**A/N.** I thought I should mention -school ended Friday! I'm officially done with 7th grade...Noooo! D: 7th and 5th grade have been the best school years ever! I said goodbye to and hugged everyone that day (even the boys -they didn't even find it awkward; hooray!) and teared up a lot. :'3 But...it was a great year, to say the least. :) I'm happy with the way it turned out. *,000reviewscough*

Um, I won't be replying to any reviews this chapter because FanFiction messed with something, so I didn't get the reviews in my email inbox (it's where I keep track of everything), so if you had a question or anything, just relay it in chapter 3's review. :D I fixed the problem (you'll see, if you glance at my review to myself for chapter 1, lol) so I'll be replying to reviews posted after this update next chapter. :)

By the way, who's excited for the Mark of Athena? :D It's months away, but my PJO love increased ten-fold when I saw the cover on FB (those of you who are my FB friends, you know already)! AAHHHAAAAHHH. Percy and Jason...3 And the horses 33! And the owl 3333333. AAAHHHAAAAHH. I'm so excited.

Oh, remember the RotW! :D And you can't search the answer up on Google, mwahaha.

One more thing: If you live in CA, I might see you! Won't that be cool? Though, there's a zero chance of me seeing you if I can't talk with you through FB, email, or PM Messages on FF. You can be my friend on FB, but **you must tell me your FF username first**. Because I won't friend someone I don't know in real life or don't recognize from FF. PM Messages are okay -but if you've talked to me through them in the past, you know my responses are slow. Email is great! The best! But if you're an anon, that could be troublesome because you'd be showing your email to the public -I can't hand out my email to the public, too. But I'm not encouraging you to get an email or FB, or FF if you don't. Really, you might see me by chance, haha. :D I'm just saying that you'll be better updated if I can talk to you through one of those three ways. ^^

And this won't be the only time I'll be going to CA. I go at least every year because a lot of my relatives live there, so if you don't see me this year, you'll probably see me next. :D But if you're going to try to see me this year, I'll be in CA (probably already am) by June 3, for two weeks. I'm going to San Fran, then San Diego, then San Fran again. And if you have a hard time finding me, remember that I'm Filipino. And **I have a blue and yellow Vera Bradley messenger bag thing**. I _always_ bring it around with me.

But if it helps, my family and I are going to the Jelly Belly Factory tomorrow. :) Not sure what time exactly, but I'll be there before the day is over. ;D I'll probably have updates on my profile or on my FB, but I say probably because I tend to forget things like that. :3

Update...next week! ^^

~Lara


	4. Chapter o4: Recognizable

**EDIT: BEWARE OF SUPER LONG AUTHOR'S NOTE!**

**A/N. **I must be crazily guilty. It's 2:16 AM, and I'm writing this author's note in advanced since I have not given you guys anything this whole week.

You'll get an update tomorrow, too, because my parents will be at work so I can use the computer all day. I'm so sorry again! But I need to give a sincerest apology to Curlscat because I am a lazy partner in writing. D: It's taking me so long to edit that snippet sort of thing you sent me, and to add to it, too! I promise I'll get something done with it this week!

Explanation time! As you know, I was in California for two weeks. Did a lot of things: I went to San Fran and ate a lot of barbecue and these desserts on a stick...forgot what they were called...mhmmm.

I went to Fairfield to see my Aunt (Tita) Chari and Uncle David (He's American :D I finally have an American Uncle!) who is a retired Air Force officer; they took us to Travis Air Force Base and let us sleep in this fancy hotel (you can only get reservations there if you have connections with someone who has been in or worked for the army in some way). We went to a museum all about the Air Force and everything -they had real planes and a lot of photos. They also showed the clothes that the pilots and flight attendants wore. Then we went to the JELLY BELLY FACTORY and went on the tour (dudes. There is a portrait of Harry Potter completely made of Jelly Beans...AMAZING!) and got these hats and free samples (of course, there was a Samples Bar downstairs, too...)!

Then we went back to San Fran for a bit, then headed for LA to meet up with my Uncle Ted (Filipino :3). We went to Hollywood (literally, haha) walked up and down the Walk of Fame...is that what it's called? The stars on the concrete with famous people's names?...took pictures with Superwoman and Batman (lol, ironic, right? Stupid people made us pay them a dollar each. Didn't say it costs anything at the beginning. Totally not gravy.) and almost jumped when a masked guy swung a fake knife at me and my 4 year old cousin (poor Belay!).

We headed for San Diego so my mom could reunite with her college classmate who she hasn't seen for +20 years. We went on the SS Midway (a museum on a gigantic ship) and took a bunch of videos and photos. There was a very interesting stop there...the navy showers. They had a mannequin inside the shower with only a towel around its waist. We got an audio tour so the guy said, "This is Cal. Even in a towel, he outranks you. You can only take a shower for two minutes and no more or else you can hear people banging on the door," something like that. :) Weird, but everything was very cool.

After that, we drove all the way back up to San Fran for two more days, watched Madagascar: Europe's Most Wanted on Tuesday (AFRO CIRCUS AFRO CIRCUS POLKA DOT POLKA DOT AFRO!) then we went on a plane to Phoenix, Arizona, on Wednesday.

Haha, it was surprising -I thought we were headed home to Florida, but my dad decided at the last minute we were going to say hi to my other relatives in Arizona. My aunt's (...my cousin? Whatever.) name is Marian and she's 16 -she was awesome. I love her -she's hilarious! And she's talented! She's like an older version of me -she can play piano, draw, and sing! She actually had a YouTube, too. Her name's Marian Escio if you want to check her out.

I thought we were going home now. Nope, we went to LA again (only the airport though) so we could fly on Spirit Airlines (we were flying on Southwest before, but SW doesn't have any flights to Ft. Lauderdale). Then we found out there were only four seats available on the plane (we flew on Standby) so my dad had to find another flight. My mom, my siblings, and I took a direct flight to Ft. Lauderdale, Florida while my dad flew to Detroit, then to Ft. Lauderdale. And that was it. Oh, and we went to rent a car since ours was at the Southwest Florida airport, two hours away, and went to the Outlet to buy some food from the Cheesecake Factory. Then we went home. But I was sort of sad; I didn't get to meet anyone from FanFiction or anything (Adya, or LLAMACORNRIDER, was close, but she went to San Francisco when I was in Fairfield. D:). Oh well. Maybe next time my family and I go on a trip I'll meet someone. :)

So, to conclude, I was too busy cooing over my cousins and traveling around to get the chapter ready. Excuse good? No? I'll make up for it with another chapter tomorrow. :) Sorry this was so long...you know how long my A/N's can be. :3 Enjoy the chapter!

* * *

_Chapter 4: Recognizable_

"Matt?"

"Yeah?"

"Do you know anything about the twins?" I inquired, turning my head slightly so I could see him. "Like, do you know them or anything?"

His grey eyes narrowed in confusion. "No, why?"

"No reason…"

I returned my attention back to the television where _The Uninvited_ was playing. Mr. Firay shifted, causing me to shift as well since I was leaning back on him. Friday nights were movie nights for us. This week it was my choice. However, I couldn't focus on the movie. My thoughts were too preoccupied by the twins— more specifically Jackson. What did he want to ask me? Did it have something to do with the reason why he looked like he recognized me the first time we saw each other?

"There's something fishy about that Anna girl," Mr. Firay commented quietly. "No one ever speaks directly to her… What do you think?"

"I think Jackson might know us," I blurted out suddenly. "Anna too. They looked like the recognized me. What if they know something? What if they figured out we are dating? Or if somehow they know Bryant and—"

Mr. Firay put a hand to my mouth, effectively silencing me. "Daphne, calm down."

I stared at him, relaxing a little bit when I realized he looked completely calm. He pulled his hand away, offering me a small smile. "Bryant's in jail. We don't have to worry about him."

"But what if—"

"There are no what ifs, Daphne."

I frowned. "We have to consider everything though…"

Mr. Firay shook his head. "You can consider everything without Bryant. I've never seen Anna or Jackson in my life. There's no way they know us. Have you?"

"No," I responded, "but they gave me the same look you did when you first saw me."

Mr. Firay smirked. "They looked at you like you were the person they loved?"

I flushed. "No! But—"

"Listen, Daphne. There's no way they could know."

"But what if they did?" I demanded, giving him an impatient look.

He sighed lightly. "If they knew we were dating, we would probably have to break up."

"Break up?" I echoed, feeling my mouth grow dry.

"If they told someone, I would lose my job, and you could be expelled. I don't particularly care if I lose my job, but I don't want to see you expelled five months before you finish your senior year," Mr. Firay told me, his eyes smoldering into mine. "But since they don't know, we don't have to worry about it, okay?"

"I…"

Mr. Firay groaned, wrapping his arms around me, and pulling me tightly against his chest. After that, he fixed the blanket around me so that it was around both of us. "You worry too much," he commented, kissing the top of my head.

I blushed, but didn't move away. "I just don't want anything to happen..."

"Neither do I," he told me, "but if you're paranoid about it, it won't help anything."

He was right. Even if Anna and Jackson knew something, it didn't mean they knew everything. Anna didn't know we were dating— I knew that for sure. She just believed I have a crush on Mr. Firay. Which was okay. Jackson on the other hand… A frown flitted across my face again. It would be wise to be careful around him, at least.

"Why are girls in horror movies so stupid?" Mr. Firay commented in an annoyed tone. "You don't follow someone into the woods… Daphne."

I smiled sheepishly at him. "If I hadn't we wouldn't be here today like this."

"True," he responded with a frown. "I guess I should be happy you're stupid."

"Hey!"

Mr. Firay smirked at me. "Kidding. You're too cute when you get all defensive."

Pursing my lips at him, I turned my gaze back to the television. Just as something popped up, making me jump in surprise. Mr. Firay let out a shout of pain as my head smacked into his jaw with enough force to make me groan in pain as well.

"You always do that, Daphne," Mr. Firay protested. "Move your head so we both don't end up with a concussion."

Suddenly the apartment door burst open, cause me to start again. Mr. Firay glared at me as once again our heads knocked together. I grinned sheepishly back at him, moving my head so I could see who entered. Sage was by the door, frozen in place, staring at me with wide eyes.

"I burst in because I thought one of you had gotten hurt," he started, his eyes never leaving mine. "But I can see you guys are doing something completely different. Maybe I should leave…"

Mr. Firay rolled his eyes, giving Sage a flat look. "We're not doing anything, Sage."

"Really now?" Sage responded, coming closer to us. "So if I just ripped this blanket off you, you'd have clothes on?" Without warning, Sage yanked the blanket off of Mr. Firay and myself. "Oh god!" he shouted, turning his head away. "Geez you two! Cover up!"

Flushing, I moved away from Mr. Firay and glared at Sage. "Grow up."

He grinned back at me. "I'm just playing with you, Daphne. I've never even seen you making out with Matt, let alone anything else."

"Sage," Mr. Firay said warningly.

Sage raised the boxes in his hand. "I brought pizza."

"What kind?" I asked curiously, pushing myself off the couch. "I'm hungry."

Sage gave Mr. Firay a disapproving look. "You don't even feed your own girlfriend?"

"She didn't tell me she was hungry!"

"You should just know."

"How am I supposed to _just know_, Sage?"

He shrugged. "I don't know. Shouldn't it just be some kind of connection you two have?"

Rolling my eyes, I took one of the pizza boxes away from Sage. "We were watching a movie. I didn't want to interrupt it."

"You can interrupt if you're hungry, Daphne," Mr. Firay told me reproachfully. "I don't want you to starve."

"It's fine," I assured him, smiling slightly. "Let's eat in the kitchen."

The three of us trooped into the kitchen and took a seat at Mr. Firay's small, wooden kitchen table. Sage dropped the pizza box he was carrying onto the table and took a seat. "Okay, I got cheese for Daphne and hamburger and bacon for you Matt, your favorite."

Sitting down across from Sage, I furrowed my eyebrows, staring at the bacon and hamburger pizza he had just opened. "What? Matt, you told me you only liked plain cheese." I turned to him, frowning.

Mr. Firay quickly adverted his gaze. "That's because you only like cheese."

"But if you wanted something else I would have been fine—"

"Aww," Sage interjected, cutting me off. "You guys are so cute! I hope I can get a girlfriend like Daphne soon."

Mr. Firay looked at Sage with a quizzical look. "What do you mean?"

"Well I am in a high school full of girls. And let's face it: I'm hot. Someone's bound to fall for me."

Mr. Firay snorted. "Full of yourself much?"

"Like you're not, Matt," I pointed out.

He smiled smugly. "But at least there's truth to it."

"I know at least one person is interested in me already," Sage stated proudly, taking a slice of pizza out of the box. "Ow! Hot!" He dropped it onto the table, sticking his tongue out.

"I'll go get plates," Mr. Firay stated, moving over to one of the cabinets. "Sage, you're doing the dishes."

"Why can't Daphne?" he complained. "She's the housewife here."

"She's a guest," Mr. Firay snapped.

"So am I!"

"No, you're an annoyance."

"Ouch."

"Sage, who do you think is interested in you?" I asked curiously, not affected by his comment. Was he talking about Ariana?

Sage gained a smug expression. "Anna. She's cute too, so I'm all for it. She even said I was hot."

My heart dropped a little bit. Sage wanted to go after Anna? But what about Ariana…? I shook my head. I didn't even know whether Ariana liked Sage anyway. It was just my stupid idea that Sage and Ariana would make a cute couple… But they'd be so cute together. Not Anna and Sage.

"She called me hot, too," Mr. Firay told Sage, handing him a plate. "I wouldn't be so excited." He gave me a plate as well and finally took a seat next to me, pulling the pizza box towards him.

Sage frowned. "She did?"

"She also called Wendell handsome, and Bobby hot," I pitched in.

"Who's Bobby?"

"Some dude in my grade."

"_Is_ he hot?"

I hesitated for a moment, briefly glancing at Mr. Firay. He shook his head at me, grinning. "Are you interested in younger men as well, Sage?" he asked, looking amused.

Sage scoffed. "No. But Bobby is just a boy. I'm a man. Chicks dig men."

"Mature men," Mr. Firay corrected him. "And I'm sorry to say you're not one of those, Sage."

"But you know who might be interested in you?" I said quickly before Mr. Firay and Sage could start bickering.

Sage looked interested. "Who?"

"Ariana."

"Daphne," Mr. Firay said with a sigh.

"What?" I responded defensively.

He pursed his lips at me. "Do you really think trying to get Sage and Ariana together is a good idea?"

"Yes!"

"Think about it. Sage times two…"

A grimace crossed my face when I realized what he meant. Would I be able to deal with double the teasing if they got together? It might be a little annoying, but I was sure I'd get used to it. "I think they'd be cute together."

"Ariana is really cute too," Sage mused, taking a bite of his pizza. "But I don't think she's interested in me. But if she was, I'd be all for it.

"Don't talk with your mouth full," Mr. Firay chided.

Sage smirked. "That's what she said."

Mr. Firay gave him a flat stare. "Ha. I still don't think you and Ariana getting together is a good idea. Think about it."

I picked up a piece of cheese pizza and took a bite, chewing slowly. Would it really be a good idea to get Sage and Ariana together? Did I want to put them through the same thing Mr. Firay and I had to go through? Not being able to go anywhere public in fear of being found out? They would have to stay holed up in Sage's house, or apartment, or wherever Sage lived just like Mr. Firay and I did. It was easy for me to do it, but would Ariana care? And what about her mom? I frowned slightly. My relationship with Mr. Firay was more complicated than I'd imagined. We were extremely lucky people.

"I don't see anything wrong with it," Sage finally commented, furrowing his eyebrows.

Mr. Firay sighed. "Never mind then, Sage."

Sage looked confused, but let it drop. I decided not to speak up. It really didn't bother me that Mr. Firay and I couldn't do what normal couples did. But I didn't want to let him know I knew we were missing out on a lot. Knowing him, he'd probably feel guilty about it, and I didn't want that.

"Sage, do you know Anna or Jackson from anywhere?" Mr. Firay suddenly asked, frowning slightly.

Sage furrowed his eyebrows in confusion. "Not that I know of, why?"

"Daphne thinks they might know her."

I stared at Mr. Firay in surprise. "I thought you said not to worry about it? Does this mean you think something's going on too? What if—"

Mr. Firay shook his head. "No, you just got me curious. If they knew Daphne than that's why they might have been shocked to see you. I was thinking Sage might know whether they do or not since he's Daphne's cousin."

"Oh," I responded, calming down again. A blush set on my face. "S-sorry…"

He chuckled. "Don't worry about it, Daphne."

Sage frowned slightly. "You know, now that I'm thinking about it, I actually think I may have seen them before…"

"You have?" Mr. Firay and I chorused.

Sage nodded. "I've never met them per se, but I definitely remember seeing them somewhere. But I'm not sure where exactly."

Mr. Firay and I exchanged glances. I turned back to Sage, leaning over the table towards him. "Think carefully, Sage. Did you seem them with Daphne, or with me?"

"Daphne, definitely."

I fell back in my seat now, relief washing over me. So they must know the other Daphne. That made me feel a lot more comfortable. A small laugh left my lips. "Jeez, I was worried for nothing."

Sage raised an eyebrow. "What were you worried about?"

"I—"

"Daphne thought they were onto us," Mr. Firay informed him.

Sage laughed. "I wouldn't worry about that, Daphne. As long as you guys are discreet. I haven't heard one inkling towards you and Matt's relationship."

"You've only been there one day," I pointed out.

Sage shrugged. "Still. I'll keep an ear out."

"We won't have to worry about it," Mr. Firay said firmly. "No one will find out."

"I'm going to get to the bottom of this on Monday," I announced.

"I'll just talk to Jackson about it."

"Why not Anna?" Mr. Firay inquired, frowning.

"Jackson seems more suspicious. Anna just seems… girly."

Sage chuckled. "Well, she is a girl."

"I guess it would make sense that they knew Daphne," Mr. Firay commented thoughtfully. "They transferred here from the performing arts school."

"How do you know that?" I asked him.

He shrugged. "I looked through their file. They're an interesting case. Apparently Anna had a relationship with a teacher from her other school and both of them got in trouble. He was fired, and Anna was forced to transfer to our school."

I nearly choked on my pizza. "Wait, are you serious?"

He nodded, smirking at me. "How does it feel to know you're not alone when it comes to relationships with teachers?"

I didn't reply. If Anna had a relationship with a teacher before, why did she tell me it was impossible? Was she saying that because she had been caught? And if she had a relationship with a teacher before, did that mean she thought it was okay to have another? With either Sage or Mr. Firay?

"Daphne, what's wrong?" Mr. Firay asked, giving me a worried look.

I shook my head quickly. "Nothing…"

"Afraid she might try to steal you from me?" he guessed teasingly.

I blushed, glaring at him. "No!"

He laughed. "Don't worry, Daphne. She's not my type at all. Besides, I love you too much."

"I love you too," I responded out of habit, feeling a little more relaxed. Not that I ever doubted Mr. Firay. But Anna was a cute girl…

"Matt couldn't have her anyway," Sage commented with a complacent look. "She's interested in me."

Giving Sage a flat look, I picked up my pizza again and started eating it. Sage started talking to Mr. Firay about something all teachers had to attend next weekend. I zoned out, not really caring about some gathering of the teachers. It was weird Sage was attending though. I still found it hard to believe he was an actual teacher. Gym class was going to be harder than usual this year… Maybe I could tell Mr. Firay Sage was harassing me… I smirked. That wasn't actually a bad idea.

"Daphne, when you're finished eating I'll take you home," Mr. Firay started, snapping out of my thoughts. "It's almost ten."

Sage raised an eyebrow. "She's not spending the night?"

I flushed, glaring at Sage. "I don't always spend the night, Sage. Only when my mom goes out of town because she doesn't want me alone."

"Really?" Sage responded dubiously. "But it's a Friday night. Why can't she stay later, Matt? I want to stay too."

"You can stay," Mr. Firay told him, looking put out. "But Daphne has a curfew."

Sage snorted. "Wait, are you kidding me?"

"I didn't use to," I told him defensively. "My mom went psycho after I was stabbed. Now I'm not allowed to stay out later than ten o'clock… Especially at Matt's."

Mr. Firay smiled wryly. "She's kind of upset at me. Not that I can blame her. I did almost get her daughter killed."

"It was my fault—"

"No, Daphne. Stop saying that."

I huffed at him. "Same goes for you."

"An eighteen year old with a curfew," Sage snickered. "How lame."

Pursing my lips at him, I dropped my gaze to my pizza. He was right— it _was_ lame. But it wasn't like I could just ignore my mom's orders. She was only doing it because she was worried about me. Even though the gang was now long gone. Maybe I could convince her to at least give me until midnight…

When the time of parting came, Sage swept me up in a gigantic bear hug, promising he'd see me Monday. Mr. Firay eventually had to force him away from me so we could leave and be on time for my curfew. It was a silent ride, aside from the rain that was pounding down on the roof the car. Mr. Firay's radio had broken a few weeks before.

"Is anyone here?" Mr. Firay inquired when we pulled up to my house twenty minutes later. "It seems a little dark."

I made a face, staring up at my black house. My mom set a curfew for me, but if she wasn't around to make sure I kept it, what was the point? Sighing, I unsnapped my belt buckle. "She must have had to work late…"

"Can I come in then?"

I turned to Mr. Firay in surprise. "What?"

He tilted his head to the side. "Is that a yes or no?"

"T-that's a yes!" I stuttered feeling flustered for some reason.

"It's just you've never asked me if you could come in before…"

He chuckled. "There's a first for everything, Daphne."

I stared from Mr. Firay, to my house, and back to Mr. Firay again. The last time we had been in my house alone together was when I first met him. Nervousness spread through me, but so did excitement.

"You ready to go in?" Mr. Firay asked, cutting the engine.

"Yeah."

* * *

**A/N**. I forgot to mention: in last chapter, "Sean" was actually supposed to be "Bryant". :3 Sean is actually Shawn and Shawn is from Jordan Lynde's real version of this story, if you get what I'm saying. :) Sorry for the confusion!

The answer to the RotW is R! And the original riddle is: _I am in a river, but not in a lake, I am in computer, but not in a T.V, and I am in rain, but not in snow, what am I? _The winners are...Puckabrina-Percabeth-Fax101, GrimmGirlLove, Kathie Says Hai, and Curlscat. Sorry if I forgot anyone! :3 Rushing this bottom A/N. here –was not written in advanced like the other one.

New QotW: Who's your favorite PJO character (if you have one) and why? And you can't just say, "HE'S HOT. A-durr." :D Even if it's true.

I'M BEHIND ON REVIEW REPLIES AGAIN! Will try to reply to most of them here (or at least, necessary ones):

PenguinLoverGurl: Yays! …British…Puck…yummy-yum…Dang. Big age gap. D: Lol. Thanks –glad you liked it! :D Hahaha. Sean is Bryant, aha. :3 Really? Thanks! Hahah, what you pointed out was fine. It's not like you said that my writing sucked so much that you were going to rape me (believe me, I got that message during FTFT -shudder). Farewell! MTLSOYAYLO!

Miss Astoria: Hey hey! :D Aww, I'm glad you liked the chapter! :D I'm glad school's over, but I go back soon. :3 TRUE DAT! Well, I dunno about eigth grade…lol. :D Jackson and Anna will be fun to write about… True that. I was in CA! Amazing, right? Jk –I've gone there countless times because my relatives live there. GOOO PJO! It does rhyme!

Killer bunnies: PJO FANS UNITE! Sage as my teacher for eighth grade…I'd fail all my tests to stay back so I could stay in his classes. :D Or he would flunk all of us because he wouldn't actually teach us, lol. Lol, space invaders! My SS teacher once showed us a video on ninjas with a lego ninja narrating the whole thing. :D OMG! YOU LOVE 5th GRADE, TOO? That sounds awesome! In my 5th grade, our teacher gave us mints before every test (said it helps your brain) and had a prize day every month! And it was the year that I had more than one friend love SG. (I had like, five. :DDD) That's iCarly, isn't it? :D I'm not afraid of spoons –it's the sporks I'm afraid of.

So…have a good day! ^^ See you guys tomorrow!

~Lara


	5. Chapter o5: Disturbance

**A/N.**Whee! Reviews! I was scared you guys were mad at me (I'd understand of course; I was gone for almost two weeks...wait, that's not long compared to some authors...). :)

I feel that because people are asking so many questions, I'll talk about Jordan Lynde:  
_Jordan Lynde has recently graduated from her school with a Creative Writing Scholarship to WNEU (Western New England University, college in Massachusetts). Why she got that scholarship? Because she's been interviewed by many articles, two newspapers, and a magazine, and possibly more. Because of her writing on Wattpad. Her most famous work is A Proscriptive Relationship -story about a girl named Holly who finds out her teacher, Mr. Heywood, is an ex-gangster and also her teacher. Sound familiar?_

_Yes, FTFT and APR are pretty much exactly alike. So are BCC and her sequel, ASR._

_But I have permission! If you go on Wattpad, you'll see APR was finished in 2010. I've been her friend since a little before then. I talk to her through FB most of the time because, well...FL and MA aren't exactly side by side. :) I thought it would be pretty cool to put this all in the SG fandom, so I asked if it was okay. At first she was like, "What? No way." And we dropped it for a while. But then she got interviewed by Wattpad (they have this podcast thing) and she said she's not planning to publish APR nor ASR and that she'll probably become a doctor instead. I asked her about the podcast, and she was chill with it._

_So, yeah. That was how FTFT and BCC were born. _A question from someone: **"If this isn't your "actual" story, why are you changing things around?"**_ Obviously, I'm changing the names because then this wouldn't be a FF, but I also have to change the characters backgrounds and stuff. Her story is teen fiction –no fantasy whatsoever. You'll be able to tell if you check out her story but obviously, my version of her story is still different -there's no fairies, no magic, no Sabrina or Basil (Holly is an only child), and there's no Henry (in Jordan's version, Holly's dad died in the same car accident Chris' -Mr. Heywood- parents died in). Oh yeah, Chris' dad wasn't poisoned, so...big difference. :)_

_If you feel that I still have no right to be posting FTFT and BCC, you can tell me to take this story and FTFT down. Though, I'll need a bigger number than 2 or 4 people because there are a lot of people who like this story (or liked FTFT) that if I erased these stories, they'd hunt me down. You guys seem to be very attached to Sage. ;D  
_

_Actually, go check out Jordan's stories! Though, if you don't want any spoilers of BCC, don't read "A Surreptitious Relationship". :3 They're really amazing.  
_

One more thing before I end this A/N: If you decide to stop reading BCC and go for the finished version, you'll also miss a few of my OWN chapters. If I didn't add anything that was my own, even changing the characters' names and backgrounds, it's copyright infringement, right? (Though I guess since I had permission it wouldn't be, but...?) So yeah. I think that's all that should be said -except SHE IS SO AWESOME. That's all.

Enjoy the chapter! Hope you'll check out her works soon!

* * *

_Chapter 5: Disturbance_

Still in shock, I climbed out of the car, and into the pouring rain. Mr. Firay appeared at my side moments later, and together we hurried towards the front door. I took the key from under the mat and opened the door, ushering Mr. Firay in before closing it behind us. I kicked my shoes off and he followed my example, placing them neatly on the shoe rack.

"Umm," I started awkwardly, looking everywhere but at Mr. Firay. "Do you want something to drink?"

"I could go for some hot chocolate," he responded, heading towards the kitchen. "I can make my special hot chocolate if you have the ingredients.

I followed him into the room, flicking on the lights. "You mean what you made me the night my mom invited you for dinner without me knowing?"

He glanced at me, impressed. "You remembered that?"

"Um, yeah…"

He smiled in amusement. "Well, yes, that's the one."

"What's in it? I'll help you look for the stuff," I offered, walking over to the cabinets. "I know we have cocoa powder…"

"Ah-ah-ah," Mr. Firay chided, moving me away cupboard. "It's my secret mix."

I frowned at him. "But—"

"Just sit down at the island."

"What about Sage? You shouldn't stay for too long…"

He raised an eyebrow at me, crossing his arms. "Do you want me to leave?"

"No!" I responded quickly, shaking my head. "That's not it."

He chuckled, turning back to the cabinet. "Sage can wait. Although, I'm a little afraid he might set fire to my apartment…"

"I'd be more than a little afraid," I responded, pushing myself onto one of the stools at the island. "It is Sage."

Mr. Firay just shrugged his shoulders. "Put your head down."

"Matt—"

"Daphne."

"I'm not putting my head down," I refused, staring at his back incredulously.

He glanced over his shoulder at me, frowning. "What if I take off my shirt?"

I rolled my eyes. "I've seen you shirtless before."

"Please, Daphne."

"Matt…"

"Daphne…"

I sighed lightly. "Okay, fine." Feeling like an idiot, I put my arms on the bar and put my head face down on them.

"Thank you," he responded, and I heard the cabinets being open.

Five minutes later, I felt someone tap on my shoulder. Mr. Firay was smirking at me when I raised my head. He handed me a steaming mug of hot chocolate, and then took a seat across from me with his own.

"You were so quiet I figured you'd fallen asleep," he commented, causing me to roll my eyes.

Pulling the cup of cocoa closer to me, I took a small sip. "Ow!" I cried, pulling away from the mug as fast as possible. "It's hot!"

"That's why it's called _hot_ chocolate, Daphne."

I gave him a sarcastic look. "Oh, I would have never guessed."

He grinned at me. "If you want I can cool it down for you," he offered. "Put some more milk in it or something."

"You made it with milk?"

"Maybe."

I gently blew on my mug of hot chocolate, hoping to cool it down. "That's okay. It'll cool down eventually."

"When do you think your parents are going to be home?"

"I don't know, why?" I responded, tilting my head to the side curiously.

Mr. Firay frowned. "I don't really think they want to see me."

I laughed. "No, they're over it. Well, my mom is. I think my dad is letting you off the hook because you're not Puck. But my mom's seriously fine. Trust me. She's always asking me when we're hanging out."

"Really?"

"Now who has the catch phrase?" I teased.

He rolled his eyes. "Don't get too ahead of yourself, Daphne."

"Thank you."

"Thank you?"

"For the hot chocolate," I murmured, my cheeks heating up. Mentally, I scolded myself. Who blushed just because they were thanking someone?

Mr. Firay shook his head. "You don't need to thank me, Daphne."

"Yes I do, since I'm polite and actually thank people when they do something for me…" I narrowed my eyes accusingly.

He smiled smugly. "Well I guess I'm not polite."

"You got that right," I muttered, taking another sip of my drink warily. This time it didn't burn my tongue as much. "This tastes just like melted marshmallows…"

"There's no marshmallows in it," he told me.

I did a double take at him. "What? Really?"

"Really," he responded with a deep chuckle. "I'm just an excellent cook, remember?"

Would it kill him to be a little less narcissistic? But then again, I guess it was another one of his charm points… I smiled wryly. I was one weird girl. Usually what people would think were turn-offs were turn-ons for me. Mr. Firay _did_ have normal ones too though— like his good looks and his caring personality.

"What's your favorite animal, Daphne?"

I pulled myself from my thoughts, looking at Mr. Firay questioningly. "Why do you wanna know?"

He shrugged, taking a long drink of his hot cocoa. I wondered briefly how he didn't burn himself. "Well, we've been dating for a little over a month now and I realized I still don't know a few things about you I probably should."

I frowned at him. He didn't know things about me? It was more like _I_ didn't know anything about _him_. "What's your favorite animal?"

"Ah, ah, ah, I asked you first."

I rolled my eyes at him. "If we're talking about non-magical animals, I like cats. If we're talking about magical, I love unicorns. I would say pegasi, but Puck pulled a prank..." I stopped rambling, blushing.

"Dog," he responded, the corners of his lip twitching. "I can't stand cats. But magical -phoenixes. What's your favorite type of flower?"

"Flower?" I echoed.

"The seed-bearing part of a plan, consisting of stamens and carpals, typically surrounded by brightly colored corolla, or petals, and a green calyx."

I stared at him incredulously. "How do you know that off the top of your head?"

"I'm a fairy, remember? They taught a lot about nature. What's your answer?"

"Don't think I'm lame…"

"A rose?" he guessed, looking amused.

I blushed. "Yeah…"

"Besides _House, Lie to Me _and _Phineas and Ferb_, what's your favorite T.V show?"

"How did you know I like those shows?" I asked in surprise. "I don't remember telling you."

Mr. Firay shrugged. "You usually watch them. And _Wizards of Waverly Place_."

I frowned slightly. I didn't even know what Mr. Firay liked to watch. What did I know about Mr. Firay? Next to nothing. "What's your favorite show?"

"I guess I like _House_," he responded simply. "I usually don't watch T.V."

"What's your favorite color?"

"Blue. It's a dark color like yours."

I cocked my eyebrow. "Which is…?"

"Purple."

Taking another sip of my hot chocolate, I stared at the table. This was kind of depressing. He knew all this stuff about me without asking, and yet I couldn't answer anything about him without asking. I needed to pay more attention to him…

"When you're done with your hot cocoa there's something I want to do."

I gave him a curious look. "What's that?"

There was an amused glint to his eyes. "Actually…"

"What?"

"I'd like to see your room," he told me simply. "You've seen mine, so it's only fair, right?"

I blinked. That was unexpected. "You want to see my room?" I repeated, narrowing my eyes in confusion.

"That's what I said."

"Um, I don't really know how clean it is though," I told him, feeling my cheeks warm up. "Maybe we should wait…"

He chuckled, quickly downing his hot chocolate. "I don't care, Daphne," he said when he was finished. "I'm curious."

"I don't know…"

Mr. Firay sighed, pushing himself off the stole. He came around the island, enveloping my hand in his. "Do I have to find it myself, or will you help me?" He tugged me off the stool and towards the stairs. "Come on."

Apparently he wasn't taking no for an answer. After another moment of hesitation, I finally resigned, leading the way up the stairs. He dogged me eagerly, literally staying one step behind me. We walked down the carpeted hallway to the far right door that led to my room. I paused before entering it, my hand on the handle. Was there anything embarrassing that I left out this morning? I definitely threw my dirty laundry in the hamper, so that wasn't a problem…

Mr. Firay abruptly grabbed my hand with his free one, twisting my hand and twisting the knob along with it. He pushed open the door, giving me a gentle shove so I would enter. After a few seconds light flooded the room and I quickly scanned my room, looking for anything that might embarrass me. Horror flooded through me when I realized my mom had put my clean laundry on my bed— my bras and underwear in plain site on top.

"E-excuse me!" I cried, pushing Mr. Firay out of the way and nearly sprinting towards my bed to pick it up. With my face on fire I hastened to my closet, opening it, and hastily through the clothing in it. My mom had chosen the worst time to do my laundry for me.

Mr. Firay cracked up, dropping his head to avoid my glare. My heart was racing in my chest, my embarrassment causing my pulse to quicken. When he finally stopped chuckling, he gave me an amused smile.

"You know, Daphne, I _have _seen girl clothing before."

I opened my mouth to retort, but couldn't think of anything good, so I closed it again. "W-whatever," I finally muttered.

He took a few steps into the room, looking around it carefully. I followed his gaze, glancing over my wooden dresser, my full-length mirror, the posters of some bands I like, my desk with my television, my closet… Our gazes met and he smirked. He then turned his head, looking at my bed.

"You still sleep in a single?" he commented.

"It's only me here," I defended myself. "Not everyone needs a queen sized bed."

"I have a king," he corrected me.

I made a face at him. "Still."

He walked over to my bed, taking a seat on it. He gestured for me to come over to the bed as well, and after a moment of hesitation I did. He patted the spot next to him. "Sit down."

"I'm good," I told him, very aware that we were both very alone.

He gave me an exasperated look. "Come on, I want to see if two people can fit on here."

"Why?"

"If we ever move in together, you might still want to sleep in a single bed," he commented with a grin.

I gave him a sarcastic smile. "You're too funny." Surprisingly, I was able to control my blush this time. Usually when Mr. Firay would make a comment like that, my face would flame. It was nice to know he thought of our future from time to time.

He rolled his eyes, and in one swift moment has his arms around me. Before I could protest, he had me over his shoulder. A small scream of surprise left my lips as he quickly shifted so he was lying next to me. When I tried to sit up, he pushed me back down, adjusting himself into a more comfortable position.

"Well, we definitely fit," he commented, smirking. "But you tend to roll in your sleep, so you'd probably fall off if it was both of us on here…"

Now blushing, I glared at him. "I don't want to sleep in a twin sized bed with you!"

He feigned a hurt look. "You want to sleep in separate beds?"

"No!"

A small chuckle erupted from him. "I'm kidding, Daphne," he told me, moving his face closer. "You're just too fun to tease."

"Obviously," I responded, trying my best to glare at him. It was hard to focus when he was so close.

"I'm going to kiss you," he warned, rolling onto his side. "Is that okay?"

"Yes," I murmured, never letting my eyes leave his face. "You don't need to ask, Matt."

He laughed quietly, moving so that his face hovered above mine. "It's only polite."

With that, he dipped his head closer to mine so our lips brushed. I inhaled deeply, taking in the scent of his cologne. My heart thumped loudly in my chest as our lips moved together slowly and softly. After a moment, Mr. Firay pulled away, motioning for me to sit up. I did so, looking at him in confusion. He said nothing, but instead moved so that instead of him hovering over me, I could rest on him.

"I don't want to crush you," he told me.

I nodded, too embarrassed to form a coherent reply. Lucky for me, he saved from having to respond by pulling my head down to his and kissing me again. I kissed him back, trying to calm my racing heart. Even though I had kissed Mr. Firay plenty of times before, I still couldn't do it without feeling nervous. What if he thought I suddenly couldn't kiss? And I'd never made out with him on a _bed_ before…

Before I knew it, our kiss had deepened and changed from a soft, sensual one to a heavy, French one. He massaged my back with his hands while I did my best to breathe whenever he gave me the chance to— which was tough because he seemed to have an unlimited supply of oxygen. After a few more moments of this, his lips left mine, and he trailed up my jaw line with his lips, sending pleasant prickles down my spine. He stopped at my ear and breathed on it for a moment on it.

"Daphne," he started in a husky voice. "I—"

"Daphne?" a new voice called, interrupting Mr. Firay. "Are you up here?"

My eyes shot open in surprise and I pushed myself off Mr. Firay, moving back as quickly as possible. Unfortunately, there wasn't enough room on my bed to do so, so before I knew it, I hit the ground with a loud_thump_. Mr. Firay was off my bed so fast it was almost inhuman. A few seconds later the door to my bedroom opened and my mom stuck her head in.

"What happened…" she trailed off when her gaze landed on Mr. Firay. "Oh, you _are_ here. I thought that was your car in the driveway."

Mr. Firay gave my mom a sheepish grin. "Hello, Veronica."

My mom smiled at him before turning her gaze to me. "Daphne, haven't I told you it's rude to be on the floor while a guest is here?"

Ducking my head so my mom wouldn't notice my flaming cheeks, I pushed myself off the ground. "Hi, mom."

"So what were you two doing in here?" she inquired in an accusing tone. "I hope you two are being safe."

"Mom!" I exclaimed in outrage, glaring at her with as much force as I could muster. How could she say that so casually!

She gave me a confused look. "What? Is it wrong for me to want you two to be safe? Cut me some slack. I let you two be together -heck, your father's _tolerating_ your relationship –something he never did with Sabrina and Puck, so the least you could do is comply with that one little rule. We want grandchildren, just not when our daughter is only eighteen—"

"Mom! Mom, just stop talking! Right now!" I cried, looking at her in horror.

She smiled evilly at me. My jaw nearly dropped. She was doing this on purpose! Why couldn't I have a normal mom?

"I think it's time for me to go…" Mr. Firay spoke up, looking uncomfortable.

"Don't leave on my account, Matt," my mom responded with an innocent smile.

Mr. Firay shook his head. "Sage is waiting for me back at my place so… I'll see you later, Daphne." He threw me a quick smile before moving past my mom.

"Bye Matt!" she called after him. "See you soon!"

When my mom turned back to me, I glared at her. "What was that for?"

She laughed. "I just wanted to tease you two a little. Matt is so cute. He's still just like a teenaged boy."

"I'm going to bed Mom," I responded, not finding her teasing funny. "Goodnight."

"Aw, Daphne. Come on. It was all in good fun—"

"Goodnight, Mom," I repeated more forcefully.

She pouted at me. "Fine. Sleep tight. Your dad will drive you and Basil to your sister's house for the weekend tomorrow morning, by the way. Love you!"

As soon as she left my room and closed the door, I flopped back down onto my bed. It still smelled like Mr. Firay. I frowned slightly. What was Mr. Firay about to say before my mom entered? Letting out a sigh, I turned onto my back. My mom had horrible timing.

My phone vibrated in my pocket, making me jump in surprise. I quickly pulled it out, noticing it was a text message from Mr. Firay. Smiling now, I opened it.

_Good Night. I love you, Daphne_.

* * *

**A/N. **I hope their little session wasn't too gross to read or anything -I didn't write it. :3 But next chapter's _all _me. Because...

Dun dun a dunnn!

Our favorite couple will be back! Along with some Basil! Whoohoo!

No anon. replies tonight. Late posting again; my mom actually took the computer to work this morning, so I had to start this at like, six or seven o' clock. I'm also sorry that I haven't replied to signed in reviews since chapter 3! I'll try to get to that this week, or before next week's update!

Also, I'll keep the new QotW up because a lot of people haven't reviewed with their answers. I'm glad, though, that none of you picked someone and just said, "They're hot!" or "They're so cute!" Funny I didn't see anyone pick Percy. I thought someone would. So, again, the QotW for those of you who don't remember/didn't answer is: **Who is your favorite PJO/HoO character and why? (You can pick a god or goddess if you want) **

Not sure what day I'll update next week, but PLEASE DON'T LEAVE ME NOT REAL REVIEWS. I got maybe two reviews waiting for chapter 4 saying, "Where's the update?" "You didn't post the new chapter!" and that was it. Please don't do that. It kind of counts as spam because it appears in my inbox without any real reason. :3

See you guys next week (if you're sticking with this story)!

~Lara


	6. Chapter o6: Hello

**A/N.** :) Yayys -new chapter!

But again.

I am sorry the update was late.

I didn't realize I would get home from Orlando so late on Saturday. I thought I'd be able to write more of the chapter, then post, but I got home at 10 PM. :( Sunday was my mom's paperwork day, so she hogged the computer all to herself. So, Monday was my only day to write, not post. :3 Really sorry again! I will update at the end of this week as a "double-update" thing. Normal pattern will resume after that.

This was all written by me, so these are all my errors (and there will probably be a lot more errors than usual :3). All the chapters that are written by me will be said in their A/N's, so you won't have to guess if this is my writing or hers.

I got a question from an anon. that you'd probably like the answer to, too:

I'm sorry, but **there are only WEEKLY updates**. :) I used to do daily updates (BSGS2011) but I really want this story to spread out throughout the year so it catches up to the story's time (after Christmas to graduation) or at least close to it. :) I'm expecting -I'm only saying this once- 50 to 60 chapters. Hope I answered your question.

To Alyssum: ...where the heck did you get that I wanted you off FanFiction? I never said that. All I said was that I didn't like, "Update now!" reviews. I deleted those reviews, and if you checked the review pages, your reviews are still there. Seriously, sweetie, you're fine. Don't think of getting off FF just because I give a paragraph with words IN CAPITALS LIKE THIS. Just because it's in caps, that does not mean I'm yelling.

**Um, watch out.** **Basil's in this chapter**, and we know he has a potty mouth. :3 Let's get with the chapter now! Enjoy!

* * *

_Chapter 6: Hello_

The ride to Sabrina and Puck's apartment was quite noisy, but not at all long. Dad was talking to his boss through his Bluetooth with the stereo blasting Bustin Jieber (some new girl singer that sounded too much like a boy) while Basil and I had a poke war in the backseat. I'm not sure who was winning. Within a matter of minutes, we arrived in front of the apartment complex. It wasn't too big, but it wasn't too small (I know Goldilocks would like it). After grabbing our bags, Dad led us up the flight of stairs and knocked on Sabrina's door.

He wasn't very happy when Puck opened it. They sort of came to a compromise not to irk each other, but Dad's eye still twitched. "Hello, Puck."

"What's up, Mr. Grimm?" He glanced at Basil and I, and a wicked grin flashed across his face. "Marshmallow! Freorge!"

Freorge was Puck's latest nickname for him, as I'm told. It was a combination of Fred and George, the two troublesome red-heads from Harry Potter. As if anyone didn't know -Puck had been spreading it around, and it had spread around quite fast. I smirked when Basil glared at him.

He wrinkled up his nose. "Just because I have red hair doesn't give you the right to call me that."

"Oh, but I am your older bro, so I'm allowed to. And I don't think your dad minds much, do you Hen-Hen?" Puck said brightly.

Dad's eye twitched again. "No. Not really." Then he straightened up and got serious. "Basil and Daphne will be staying with you for the whole weekend, okay? Make sure they finish any homework that they have -sooner the better, and that they get to bed early. Basil should be in bed by nine, the maximum for Daphne is eleven, and-"

"And make sure they stay out of the way in case the baby comes out, and clear of Sabrina or else she might explode like a ticking bomb, I know, Henry. Don't worry! Have I ever failed you?" Puck asked, hugging me and Basil so tight that we were smushed together.

Dad gave him a flat look. "Yes, you have." After Puck released us, Dad gave Basil and me a hug and a kiss on the cheek.

Basil wiped his face wearing a scrunched up expression. "Ew. Bye, Dad."

We watched Dad walk down the stairs and waved with smiles every time he looked up at us. When his car drove off, we immediately stopped, and grinned at each other simultaneously.

"New rules!" Puck said, clapping his hands excitedly. "Homework doesn't have to be done until Monday -since you guys don't have school that day, and you guys have no bedtimes. You're allowed to be around Sabrina, but I don't think you'd like it -she's acting like a pain in the ass and screaming. Besides that, I guess you can do whatever you want. So, welcome to Casa De Goodfellow!"

"Grimm-Goodfellow," I corrected. "Sabrina never really changed her name, you know."

He rolled his eyes. "Whatever. Who's ready for some street racing?"

:c) :c) :c) :c) :c) :c) :c) :c) :c) :c) :c) :c) :c) :c) SIDE SMILES :c) :c) :c) :c) :c) :c) :c) :c) :c) :c) :c) :c) :c) :c)

"Get your fat ass out of the way, Bowser!" Basil said, then smiled triumphantly when Yoshi zoomed ahead in 1st place.

We were playing the Wii in the living room while Sabrina was sleeping. Puck had a wide selection of games that he put in three categories: "Gross", "Bloody", and "Bloody Gross".

I just brought Mario Kart instead.

"Basil!" I thumped him on the head. "The baby might get ideas with that mouth of yours!"

"They can't hear anything -the baby isn't even _born_ yet," he commented as he shook his Wii remote. Yoshi did a flip on the screen.

Puck sniggered. "Not true. I heard a lot of words when my mom was about to have me during my glorious birth."

"But you wouldn't have remembered any of that," Basil pointed out as he kept a steady lead in front.

"Considering I'm a fairy, I have magical powers, so I _did _hear and remember it. And since I'm going to be the dad of this baby,_ he_ can hear things, too."

"How do you know it's a boy?"

Puck looked at them mysteriously. "Oh, I know. I'm a smart fairy."

"As if," Basil and I said in unison, smirking.

Puck fake scowled, then he smirked. "I will make you eat your words. Take this!" He pressed the arrow pad on the Wii remote, releasing a blue shell towards Yoshi.

"NOO!" Basil shouted as Yoshi flipped over and Koopa Troopa accelerated past him. "You bast-"

"Basil!" I sighed. "Stop, really. Where do you even learn these things?"

"Puck and I watch a lot of movies when he comes over. My favorite is either Just Go with It or Grown Ups."

I glared at Puck while he smirked. "The kid has to learn from the master, you know. Though, there are much better movies. I was going to say we could watch "Bad Teacher"-"

"_No._" I mustered up the scariest glare I could.

Puck cooed and ruffled my hair. "Aw, you're so cute when you're trying to be angry!"

"He should _not _be learning of these things at his age!"

"But a student must learn everything from his teacher!"

I regained my posture and cleared my throat. "So I'm guessing you'll be teaching him about the birds and bees, right? And what to do when his hormones start acting up?"

Basil's face blanked. "What's that? Is it like about nature?"

Puck snorted loudly. "Yes, definitely about nature."

I smiled. "So you'll definitely be having The Talk with him, right?"

He coughed. "Last time I checked, I was only Basil's brother-in-law-"

"-Therefore, the one 'closest' to him," I smirked.

"Shut up," he said, throwing a green turtle shell at me, but missing. "Last time I checked, you weren't so chatty. What's up?"

I gave him my warrior face. "I'm using one of my battle plans. It's called 'distracting your opponents'!" I suddenly chucked three red turtles at Koopa Troopa, then Baby Peach passed over the finish line first. They stared at me in disbelief. "The battle is won! I want my marshmallows now!"

The deal was, whoever won the Mario Kart game got to eat the marshmallows Basil brought.

"A wonderful victory indeed," I said, doing a small dance. "Babies are the best!"

Puck looked impressed. "Nice battle strategy. But we shall meet again." We bowed to each other, then snickered. On the other side, Basil gaped at the screen.

"Damn you, Baby Peach!" ...Deja vù much?

"Pay up," I said with my hand out.

He glared at me. "Get it yourself! It's in my backpack."

I rummaged inside to find something else instead. Pictures of a shy girl with thin glasses were in the front pocket. "Aww! You have pictures of Jay in your backpack!" Jay was his "we're-not-dating-for-the-love-of-gravy-and-all-things-holy" girlfriend. She was sweet and cute -we loved her. But she lived in New Jersey, so we didn't see her often.

"Lemme see! Oh that is rich! You're like some kind of stalker now!" Puck cackled as he glanced at the pictures out of Basil's reach.

"Give them to me or I swear I'm chop of your-"

"Basil!" He ignored me.

"-arms and feed them to your pixies!"

"Oh, good. I thought you were going to say something bad."

"What? Balls?"

Dear goodness, Basil was too young for this, I thought while watching Basil rained his fists on Puck, demanding his pictures back while my brother-in-law giggled like an idiot.

)c: )c: )c: )c: )c: )c: )c: )c: )c: )c: )c: )c: )c: )c: SIDE FROWNS )c: )c: )c: )c: )c: )c: )c: )c: )c: )c: )c: )c: )c: )c:

It was like that from Saturday to Sunday. Each day, we followed the same routine: Sleep, eat, tease Basil, play, eat, don't disturb Sabrina, laugh when Puck disturbed Sabrina, run away when Sabrina had her mood swings, play, eat, sleep. Then a midnight snack. I've always liked staying at Sabrina and Puck's apartment. Puck was always there to entertain us, but besides being the babysitter that no one wanted their kids around, he still kept the "I'm in charge so you have to respect me" personality in check. Most of the time.

Then, it happened. We were all in the kitchen eating breakfast Monday morning while Sabrina was washing dishes. Basil had adopted Puck's and my eating style, shoveling food in his mouth as if the world was going to end right after his meal. Believe it or not, Puck knew how to cook, and he knew how to cook well. I wasn't sure if it was a skill he picked up from Matt, but he was like a superstar chef. He didn't cook like Granny Relda -sadly- nor did his cooking compare to Matt's, but he made all our favorites: French toast, bacon, eggs, toast, bacon, and hash browns... Did I mention he made bacon? It was delicious, but I did feel bad for eating Mr. Hamstead's long lost cousin.

"What are we doing today?" I asked, chomping down on a piece of French toast and bacon. Unlike at Matt's place, I didn't care who looked at me here.

"I was thinking we could go to the batting cages, like Mom used to do when we were small," Sabrina commented, soaping a glass. She had taken another nap, but woken up in a good mood, thank goodness.

"Mmmmph!" Basil said, chewing on the eggs and bacon. What can we say? We love bacon.

Puck smirked, turning off the stove. "What was that, Freorge? I couldn't hear you through that food you were choking on."

On cue, "Freorge" started coughing and pounding his chest. Basil quieted after heaving and getting a small scolding from Sabrina, then acted as if nothing happened. "I said, 'Cool!'"

"We can go right after you finish eating," Sabrina said, drying all the dishes.

"Hey, Puck, give me that plate, will you?"

"Are you going to give something to me in return?" he asked, patting his apron. 'Kiss the Cook' was printed on it.

Sabrina hesitated, as if she was really thinking about it. "I'll just get the plate myself."

Puck pouted visibly, which did not go unnoticed by his wife, who grinned.

"What's wrong?"

"I wanna kissy kiss!" he said in a baby voice. "Sabwina give Pucky kissy?"

Snorting, Sabrina said, "Really?"

"Weely, weely!" He hugged her tightly.

"Later," she said, laughing, pushing him off. "Besides, Basil and Daphne are in the room-"

"-And I'd rather not see you raping my sister," Basil piped up, popping a hash brown in his mouth. "I doh wanna be scarred."

I smacked his head. "Don't say that! I'm getting gross images now." We looked at each other, and as if we rehearsed it, said, "Eww!"

"Har har har." Puck threw his apron at us. "Wait 'til you guys find someone to spend the rest of your life with. We'll be teasing _you_ about it."

Sabrina smirked at us. "Actually, I think you guys have _already_ found someone_._" She gave me a meaningful look.

To no one's surprise, an invisible figure painted my cheeks red.

Basil coughed. "Eww. I'm going to be an uncle to two babies way too soon."

"We're not having twins, Basil," Puck said, not understanding what he meant.

"I know." He pointedly looked in my direction.

"S-Shut up!"

Puck eyed me curiously, putting his elbow on his knee and laying his head on his hand. "You haven't done it, right?"

What? Do what? I know I didn't do my homework yet, but Puck wouldn't care about that. "Umm...?"

His eyes widened. "Oh my god, you did."

"Do what?"

Puck stared at me, then to Sabrina. He said in his "over-protective-big-brother" voice, "I didn't know my brother took things that fast...not as fast as me, but this is inappropriate. I'm going to have to kill him-"

"What did I do?" I asked, panicked. "You said we didn't have to do homework yet-"

"-Puck, I don't think she has," Sabrina said, laughing. "Daphne, he's not talking about homework."

"What?" Puck looked confused.

"What?" I was just as confused as him.

"Puck asked you if..." Sabrina glanced at Basil. "You know. With Mustardseed."

"I know what with Mustardseed?"

Puck thrusted his hips in the air.

My face flamed. "Uhhh..."

"If so, I'm going to beat that punk up so bad," Sabrina muttered, cracking her knuckles. She was becoming moody again.

"Wait! No-no! We haven't -we're not -just -gah." I didn't know what to say. We weren't...gosh no! As much as I love Matt, we weren't dating that long. I'm sure Puck and Sabrina's relationship didn't even go that fast.

Sabrina and Puck visibly relaxed. "Good," she said, looking satisfied. "You'd tell me, right?"

"Of course," I said honestly.

"And me, right?" Puck said, spreading his arms wide, grinning.

"...sure," I lied. Knowing Puck, he'd blab it to everyone.

"You liar," he accused, pouting.

He caught me. "How'd you know?" I knew the answer, though.

"You're like-"

"-a book because I'm easy to read," I said wearily. "I know, I know. I'm always being told that."

"Because it's true!" Puck insisted with a grin. "Your face shows everything. And your voice always goes a little octave higher!"

I touched my throat. "Really?" I'd have to fix that.

"Weely weely!" he said, using a baby voice.

"Umm...guys?" Basil glanced at the sink. "Hate to break this family bonding, but I think you left the sink running too long."

We looked, but it was off.

"It's not on. Why did you think it was on?" I asked, turning to him.

"There's a puddle," he said, pointing to the ground, right where a visibly pale Sabrina was standing.

"Oh my god," she mumbled, looking at Puck with wide eyes. "It's happening."

His eyes were the size of the French Toast he made. "Holy..."

Then Sabrina let out a blood curling scream. "AHH! GET IT OUT. _NNNOOOWW_," she bellowed like a monster. "F-F-_FIRETRUCK_!"

It all happened so fast and I was sure it was even before I blinked. Puck picked up Sabrina and ran for the door, kicking it down. He spread his wings and flew down the stairs whilst Basil and I had to run the two flights of stairs. By the time we got down, the car was already running.

"Basil. Daphne. _Get your butts in the car_," he said seriously, strapping Sabrina in, who groaned in pain. I grabbed Basil's hand quickly as we jumped in the backseat. Puck didn't care if we put on our seatbelts and tore down the traffic jammed road.

To say it was a nightmare was too inaccurate and sweet. It was more like a heart attack with my inside being flipped out and in over and over, and my heart exploding every minute. Puck drove even worse than Wendell and Sage combined! Every time we got close to hitting another car, my heart almost tore out of my chest, and when we passed safely, my heart would resume to its 148 beats per second. Or at least, it felt like 148 beats per second. Cars beeped by loudly, drivers swearing at us. Puck beeped his horn in return, screaming with his head out the window. "MY WIFE IS HAVING A BABY, DAMNIT! SHUT UP!"

All the while, Basil and I tried giving Sabrina comforting words while she screamed profanities and groaned. "Uggh. Why can't pregnancies feel like se- _Ahh! _That hurt!"

Those seven minutes to the hospital felt like an hour in the car. A few people came out with a stretcher (I'm sure they heard Sabrina's screaming a mile away) and pushed her to the operation room.

"Why isn't she going to one of the normal rooms?" I heard Puck as a nurse.

She pursed her lips. "The doctor thinks -if she's screaming like _that_- the baby might not be able to come out from...below." The lady glanced at us. "So we'll have to open up her stomach, unfortunately."

Basil turned green.

Trying to assure him, she said, "Oh, don't worry! We've done this many times! She's in good hands."

Unhelpfully, Sabrina groaned loudly from inside the room.

"Here, why don't you kids sit down on the bench?" she ushered us onto a bench. "Mr. Goodfellow, follow me."

Puck's face was white, but he nodded before giving us a weak smile. "Don't do anything I wouldn't do." Then he and the nurse left.

Basil and I didn't speak. We didn't say a word at all during Sabrina's operation, and we didn't have to. We knew we'd be scarred for life.

Sabrina's screaming was muffled by the walls, but we still heard it. The nurse came out from time to time, telling us what was happening. I guessed Puck told her to do that, so he wouldn't have to leave Sabrina. I bought some Kit-Kat from the vending machine for us, munching on it silently. An hour or so later, Mom, Dad, and Uncle Jake came in through the hospital doors with smiles on their faces.

"Sabrina's having the baby!" Mom cried happily.

"Where is she?" Dad asked.

"Where's the little tyke?" Uncle Jake interjected.

"She's having a baby!" she repeated, smiling through tears.

"We can't go in yet," I told them. "The nurse said the baby's almost out, but we just have to wait a little longer."

Uncle Jake, Dad, Mom, Basil and I stayed in the waiting room until the same nurse told us we could go in. Mom was practically jumping in her shoes. "I want to hold the baby first!"

Puck was holding Sabrina's hand, and he was…giggling. My brother-in-law was giggling like it was Christmas. And he was _crying_, too. From the corner of my eye, I could see Basil snapping pictures of the scene. Where he got the camera, I don't know.

The doctor beamed at us. My stomach stirred. He looked familiar, but I couldn't place who he was. His hair was red (almost neon), and he had bright blue eyes. The doctor was actually really short; shorter than Basil. He wore thin glasses that couldn't hide his bug eyes. He was grinning madly. Instantly, I knew he reminded me of the Mad Hatter.

"Well, Grimms! You have a wonderful new addition to your family," he said, shaking Mom and Dad's hands. "I'm Dr. Ged, but you can call me Deran."

While my parents talked to the doctor, I looked at the bundle in Sabrina's arms.

Uncle Jake asked, "Boy or girl?"

"Boy," Puck said smugly. "I told you I knew what I was talking about."

Basil stuck his tongue out, and took a picture of Puck. "You were crying."

"Was not!"

"Good thing this has video. Now I have proof that you giggled like a girl _and _cried."

"You're as bad as Uncle Jake," Sabrina said, chuckling.

"Hey!" Uncle Jake said, laughing. "So what does this make me? A great uncle?"

"Oh my gosh, yeah!" I said. "He can call you Gruncle Jake!"

As we let that sink in, we burst out laughing.

Uncle Jake pouted. "That makes me sound old. Can I hold him?"

"No way, Jake. I called it first!" Mom said, pushing past. Sabrina seemed a bit wary, and passed the baby reluctantly. She smiled, though. My sister looked tired, but really, really happy. She grasped onto Puck's hand tightly. "He looks just like you, Puck!"

"I'm not sure if that's a good thing or a bad," Dad muttered, but he smiled at the baby when it was his turn to hold him, cooing at him.

"What's his name?" I asked, waiting for my turn.

Puck smiled. "Well, I was going to say we should call him Puck Junior-"

"No," all of us said simultaneously.

Sabrina laughed. "His name is Nathaniel."

"Nathaniel," Uncle Jake said, grinning at the baby boy in his arms. "That's a good name."

I finally got to hold him after Basil got his turn. Nathaniel was really cute, and was a distinguishing combination of Sabrina and Puck. I was sure he was going to have Sabrina's light blonde hair, but it was going to be curly like Puck's. He had my sister's soft blue eyes, and Puck's lips. Overall, I knew he was going to be easy on the eyes.

"Hello there," I said, grinning. "I'm your Auntie Daphne!"

"And I'm your Uncle Basil," my brother said, peering at him. Then he wrinkled his nose. "I'm too young for this." Uncle Jake ruffled his hair.

"He's so adorable," I said softly, giving Nathaniel back to Sabrina.

Sabrina smiled at him, and Puck had his arm around her shoulders.

"So," Uncle Jake said casually. "Will there be a Number 2 soon?"

Sabrina turned red while Puck coughed.

"Let's just talk about that when it happens," Mom said, humming, oblivious to Sabrina and Puck's reactions. "Grandbabies, grandbabies!"

* * *

**A/N.** I know Puck and Sabrina's real first kid is Alison, and a girl. But hey, this story is AU enough, so why not? Besides, most of the stories here have Sabrina get a baby girl. Why not mix it up? Who knows; I might make Sabrina and Puck have Alison and Emma, too.

I'm not sure how long it would take to have the baby come out through the stomach (it happened to my brother, but my mom is annoyed with the many questions I've been asking her for this chapter, haha), but let's just guess it takes a little over four hours, even though it doesn't say so in the chapter.

Again: SO sorry for the long wait. I'll update…oh geez. I might have to update tomorrow instead of Thursday. I'm going to Orlando again to say hi to my cousins, so I'll be gone for the weekend. :3

Shout-out to my sister because I did not update on her birthday. **Happy belated birthday, Hannah-Banana**.

QotW: If you had to chose, would you like to have siblings or stay an only child or vice versa? And why?

Oh, and if you recognized the doctor that helped deliver Sabrina's baby, well, I'll love you forever. :D Like a sister, of course. :D

Sorry, no review replies again. D: I'm really getting bad at this. But I do appreciate every single review. Thanks so much, everyone! Let's hope I actually get to replying this time.

See you…Wednesday or Thursday. Paalam for now!

~Lara

PS. Nathaniel means Gift of God. :)


	7. Chapter o7: Smack

**Edit: There is something wrong with the Doc. Manager and other things of FF that have been driving me crazy, so I can't put that line break between the end of the beginning A/N. and the chapter title. Oh well. And sorry for the wait. Like I said, FF crazy.**

**A/N.** How do you guys like the BCC cover? It was made by Epiphany on Toast/obsessioninhumanform on deviantArt. :D Make sure you give her compliments because she's supermegafoxyawesomehot! I just added the frame and the words and stuff... Yes, Curlscat, I am obsessed with that bubble effect if you haven't noticed already. :3

Silly me! I forgot to say congratulations to **E.M.B.** for being the 100th Reviewer and **yellow.r0se** for being the 111th! Since E.M.B. is an anon, though, you'll have to settle for a shout-out. :) But thank you so much for your review. It was so thoughtful and sweet -thank you. And yellow.r0se: Like I did for FTFT, ask me four spoiler questions and I'll answer them. Also, I got my Twitter years ago, haha. I just never knew you had one. :) Congrats to you two again!

Oh, and the LAST QotD, not the one about siblings (though I will get to that one, today, too): **Airene Archerway**. Because Silena is beast. And she died a hero like Briar. And you also gave a really thoughtful answer. :) Not sure who _my _favorite PJO character is, though. My favorite god, though, is Apollo. :D He reminds me of playful Puck.

Now, the other QotD: I say **Curlscat **and **killer bunnies** because I'm in a good mood, so I want more than one winner. ;D But all of your answers were awesome! I especially like the ones that said even though they're annoying, you'd keep them. I'd say so, too.

But, all of you, WOW! +120 reviews and only seven chapters! *happy dance* Thank you so much. We can try and get to 1,000 reviews like we did for FTFT if you guys want. (You don't need to, but that'd be awesome! ^^) That was really cool, by the way. I still get butterflies in my stomach when I think about it. :)

I thought this was funny. I was looking back at some old stories, and I found my review to I Just Have This Strange Feeling by Junebug...something. :) It made me smile:_ 9/29/09 ch14: Hey junebug!im Lara D,you don't know me cause i wasn't signed up for this yet ,but know i am you can see more about me in my profile,i always read every new a tip:if you want alot of reviewers,then you have to let antonymous people update really sooner!_

:D I love how my reviews don't look like that anymore...right?

Enjoy!

* * *

_Chapter 7: Smack_

Monday afternoon I trudged up to the P.E. alone. Ariana went home early because she wasn't feeling well. That meant I had to deal with Sage by myself. With a sigh, I shoved open the gym door, earning a cry of pain from whoever I hit with it. I stared in disbelief as Jackson backed away from the door, rubbing his head.

"Watch it," he snapped, frowning at me.

"Sorry!" I apologized quickly. "But it's not my fault you were in front of the door."

He rolled his eyes. "Yeah, but most people don't open doors like they're trying to break them down."

I flushed in embarrassment. "I-I wasn't—"

"Daphne!"

I turned my head just in time to see Anna throwing herself at me. Caught off guard, I stumbled backwards as she collided with me. I groaned as my back hit the edge of the gym door that was still open. Anna immediately pulled away from me.

"Sorry!" she apologized, bowing her head. "I just got, um, excited when I saw you…" She glanced at Jackson with a curious look on her face for a brief second before turning back to me. "Look at the far corner of the room. I'm sure you'll like what you see. Everyone else does."

Following her pointed finger, my eyes traveled to the far right corner of the room. I blinked in surprise when I realized I was looking at Mr. Firay and Sage standing together, talking. They were quite a sight too; nearly all the girls were staring at them. I couldn't blame them though— they _were_ the two best-looking teachers here. And they were both in dating range.

"What are Sage and Mr. Firay doing together?" I asked myself, furrowing my eyebrows at them.

Anna nudged me in the ribs. "Sage?"

"Err… Mr. Ross."

She grinned at me. "You wouldn't happen to be the girlfriend you claimed Mr. Ross had, would you?"

I shook my head vehemently. "No! No, I'm definitely not dating him. He's just my…family friend."

"Besides, Daphne is interested in someone else."

My eyes snapped to Jackson, who was smirking. I watched him warily, feeling my heart rate increase. How could he know? Was he really that perceptive? "No I'm not…"

He shrugged. "Well soon you'll be."

"With who?"

"Me," he responded smugly.

A frown flitted onto my face. Well, _that_ wasn't what I expected. "I don't even know you. I… I'm going to talk to Wendell." With that, I hurried away from the twins and towards Wendell, who was climbing the rock wall that lined the far side of the gym.

"Hey Daphne," he greeted, dropping down to the floor as I grew closer.

"Hi," I responded, smiling at him. "Do you know why Matt is here?"

Wendell shot me a warning look. "Mr. Firay, Daphne."

I made a face. "Fudgesticks."

"Daphne," Wendell started, lowering his voice. "I know you're all in love with Firay and everything, but you're still a student here. If anyone catches you—"

"I know. I could be expelled," I interjected, holding up my hand. "I'm very aware of the consequences, Wendell." Very, very, very aware.

He half-smiled at me. "I'm not trying to be a Debby downer."

"I know. It's just— Ah!" I cried out in surprise as something heavy toppled into my back, nearly knocking me off my feet for the second time in ten minutes. I turned my head to see a familiar brunette grinning at me. "Sage? What are you doing?"

"Saying hi to my best friend!"

"Get off!" I demanded, shoving him away from me. "Sage. You. Are. A. Teacher. You can't do things like that!"

He pursed his lips at me. "Why are you so touchy about that?"

I gave him a flat look.

He grinned sheepishly. "Right… Well— Don't hurt me!" Sage said, flinching as Mr. Firay stepped next to him.

"I won't," Mr. Firay responded moodily. "I'd get in trouble if I did."

Sage looked relieved. "That's good."

"During school at least. After school it's fine."

"Great…"

Mr. Firay switched his gaze to me for a split-second. Just as he looked away I dropped my eyes, feeling blood rush to my face. I hadn't seen him face-to-face since my mom had walked in on us— during home ec he had been at a teacher conference. My head snapped back up when I heard a girly voice greet him. Reina, a junior in this class, was surrounding him with a flock of her friends.

"Are you helping out with gym class today?" Reina prodded, smiling widely at him.

Mr. Firay shook his head, returning her friendly gesture. "No, I'm afraid not. I was just relaying something to Mr. Ross."

It felt weird hearing Mr. Firay call Sage "Mr. Ross." It made me want to laugh… I paused for a second. Was that how Mr. Firay felt when I called him "Mr. Firay" all the time? A new blush forced its way onto my face. That was beyond awkward.

"Actually, _Mr. Firay_, I could use the help," Sage responded in a teasing tone. "You don't have a class right now anyway, right?"

Mr. Firay kept his tone light and polite. "But I do have papers to correct."

"You can do those later, can't you?"

"I have plans."

Sage crossed his arms. "But all these fine ladies want you to stay and play."

"Yeah!" Reina and her friend, Rachel, chorused.

Mr. Firay narrowed his eyes the slightest bit at Sage. "I'm sorry ladies, but I am really busy."

"Hmm… Without you around, I'll just have to pick on you-know-who more," Sage commented thoughtfully, slyly turning his body in my direction.

I shot him another warning look. If he said anything I would murder him.

"Mr. Ross," Mr. Firay said firmly.

"Mr. Firay," Sage responded considerably more tauntingly.

Reina and her friends continued to smile at the pair of men pleasantly, obviously not catching the hostility behind their words. Wendell, on the other hand, did, and was trying not to laugh. I could tell Mr. Firay was losing his patience with Sage. Part of me thought it would be funny for him to blow up in front of everyone, but the other part hoped Sage would lay off. After all, Mr. Firay still had his reputation to uphold.

"Well if you really can't stay, you can leave," Sage finally said in resignation. "Guess I'll find someone else to come down with me into the locker room to gather the equipment. Where we'll be alone, with _no one_ around. Come on, Daphne."

I blanked at him. "What?"

"I can go," Mr. Firay cut in, shooting Sage a dirty look. "Let's go."

Sage smirked in triumph, leading Mr. Firay back to the boy's locker room.

Wendell burst out laughing, ducking his head. "I think I'm actually going to like Mr. Ross," he commented after he was done.

"I think Mr. Firay might kill himself before the year is over," I muttered, rolling my eyes at Wendell. "Sage has an uncanny ability to…" I trailed off when my eyes met a pair of piercing blue-grey ones.

Jackson was smiling at me in a knowing way again. Like he knew my deepest secrets. Like he could read my every thought. Like he _knew _Mr. Firay and I were secretly dating. Chills went down my spine. Whoever this kid was, he was incredibly unnerving. I definitely had to be careful around him.

A few minutes later, Sage and Mr. Firay reappeared, both carrying a large sack of volleyballs. My heart dropped at the sight of them. Sage really wasn't kidding when he said we'd be playing that. Sage shot Mr. Firay a dirty look as he set his bag down in the center of the gymnasium. Mr. Firay returned it with a smug smirk. It made me wonder what exactly happened down there.

"All right!" Sage started, clapping his hands together. "Let's split off into groups of six!"

Wendell gripped onto my arm immediately. "Come on, let's ask Anna," he urged, dragging me towards the twins.

"Wendell," I protested, trying to stop him. "I kind of wanted to go with Tina and Daniel—"

"They can join us too," Wendell responded in a distracted voice. "Let's just get Anna before she decided to join a different team."

As it turns out, Anna apparently wanted to join our team anyway. She bounded over, looking extremely ecstatic. "Can I join your team?" she inquired coming to a dead stop about a foot away from Wendell.

"Of course," he responded immediately, a goofy grin crossing his face.

Forcing myself not to roll my eyes at his puppy-love behavior, I turned my attention to Jackson, who was still trudging his way towards us. I silently prayed someone else would ask him to join his or her team before he made it over to us. Unfortunately, fate wasn't on my side at all. Jackson merged into our group, and a few seconds later two juniors I didn't know joined as well, filling out our six.

"Once you have your six, we'll start out practicing basic movements," Sage called, gaining everyone's attention. "Split into pairs of two for now."

I didn't even have a chance to speak before Wendell asked Anna to be his partner. That left me with Jackson, seeing as the juniors were obviously going to be together. Once again, he smirked as he came to stand next to me.

"Are you okay?" he asked, raising an eyebrow. "You look anxious."

"I-I'm okay," I responded, quickly adverting my eyes. His gaze was far too intimate for my liking.

Sage started passing out volleyballs to all the pairs. He tossed Jackson our ball, sending me a grin as he passed. I turned away from him, towards Mr. Firay, who was watching us with a frown. When our gazes met, he flashed me a small smile before looking away. I felt a smile of my own growing on my face and I faced Jackson again, feeling refreshed. That is, until I caught the stare Jackson was giving me. My smile dropped at his impish expression.

"Let's start practicing serves. Don't make them too hard, because your partner will only be a few feet in front of you. Mr. Firay and I will demonstrate," Sage announced, holding the volleyball in his left hand. "Just make a fist… and swing!" He swung his fist up, landing a hard blow to the volleyball.

A sigh left my lips. Even though I didn't expect Sage to be a good gym teacher, I thought he'd at least be an okay one. This was just… sad. Mr. Firay abruptly brought his hands up in a block, hitting the volleyball back to Sage with ease. Sage caught the ball, looking pleased.

"So does everyone get it?"

No one was evil enough to tell Sage they didn't learn anything by his example. Lucky for him, volleyball was a sport required in the regular gym class. Even if some of us sucked at it, we knew how to play.

"Ready, Daphne?"

Begrudgingly I faced Jackson, nodding my head. "Serve at will."

He nodded, giving me a light serve. I caught the ball easily and set it up to serve it back to him. Surprisingly enough, my serve went straight to his outstretched hands. Impressed, I grinned to myself, looking to see if anyone else had seen it. My happiness dampened the tiniest bit when I realized both Mr. Firay and Sage were preoccupied helping someone serve. The girls they were helping probably didn't even need the help. They just wanted an excuse to be close with them and— _no_, I thought firmly to myself. _No jealous thoughts._

"Coming at you," Jackson warned before hitting the volleyball to me.

This time when I served it back, it went sailing over his head. He raised an eyebrow and I felt my face flush. "Sorry," I apologized as he jogged backwards to grab the ball.

"Don't worry about it, I'll serve from here," he responded, hitting the ball to me.

Throwing myself forward, I just barely managed to catch it with the tips of my fingers. Jackson jogged back to me, chuckling. I scowled at him, holding the volleyball tightly in my hands. What was so funny?

"You going to serve?" he demanded, ignoring my disapproving look. "Any day now."

After letting out an angry huff of air, I served the ball back to him. He had to throw himself forward in order to catch it. Smiling in a satisfied way, I waited to catch his volley back. An awkward silence passed us now. I waited for Sage to say we were finished, but he never did.

"So," I started, trying to begin a conversation. "Where did you um, move from…?"

"France."

My eyes widened. "Really?"

"No, I came from Narnia."

I pursed my lips at him. "Why don't you have an accent?"

"Well, my sister and I moved here…a long time ago," he paused, "..and, so we sort of lost it."

"That's cool," I said. "Though, it must be a strange change, huh? With the different languages and cultures."

Jackson shrugged. "Not really."

"Oh…"

More silence.

"So, um, you have good taste in music."

"So do you," he responded, a small grin now appearing on his face. "You don't pin me as the type to listen to the kind of music I do."

Now it was my turn to shrug. "You don't judge a book by its cover."

"But everyone still does anyway."

"True," I responded, letting out a small laugh. "I'm guilty of that."

Jackson's eyes twinkled mischievously. "I bet you're guiltier than that."

I blanked at his words. What did he mean by that? Nervousness crept over me. Just who was this kid? "What do you mean?" I demanded when I finally found my face again.

"Oh nothing," he replied nonchalantly. "Slip of the tongue."

"You…"

He cocked his head to the side innocently. "Me?"

Gritting my teeth, I turned away from him. He really irritated me. Even more so than the girls hitting on Mr. Firay. My eyes drifted to my boyfriend as I thought that, seeing him laughing at something one of the juniors said to him. I felt a pang of jealously immediately. Because we were dating, Mr. Firay paid extra careful not to talk to me any more than he talked to the other students. Even though he talked to me much less than everyone else. But it was something I had to live with. I had to just suck up my jealousy.

Without warning, something hard smacked into the side of my head. Unable to stop myself, I shouted out in pain, squeezing my eyes shot. There was the sound of a volleyball dropping to the ground as I dropped to one of my knees, holding the side of my burning face. I groaned it pain as I moved my jaw, trying to make the ache go away.

"Daphne, are you okay?"

I opened my eyes to see Jackson squatting by me, not looking the slightest bit worried. He put a hand up to my cheek, touching it gently. I jerked my head away, watching him with a heedful eye. He mouthed something to me that I didn't quite catch. My ears perked up when I heard the sound of Mr. Firay calling my name, but I didn't turn my head, giving Jackson a questioning look. He rolled his eyes, giving me another complacent look before mouthing the line to me again.

_I know your secret_.

It felt like I had been smacked -no. It felt like a freight train had mowed me down. Jackson pulled away from me, looking extremely pleased. I stared after him, panic coursing through my veins. What did he mean by that? He knew my secret? There was no way he could know about Mr. Firay and myself! It was impossible!

"Daphne, are you okay?" Mr. Firay appeared by my side now, giving me a concerned look. However, his jaw was clenched.

Our gazes met and I felt my mouth go dry. Now wasn't the time for him to be so close to me. "I'm fine," I mumbled, pushing myself off the ground.

"Maybe you should go to the nurse just in case."

"I'm okay."

"Daphne."

I blinked at his suddenly angry tone. What was wrong? "Um, okay. I guess I'll go to the nurse."

"I'll escort you, just to be safe."

Ah. So that was his reason.

Sage jogged over to his side, trying his best not to smirk. "You okay, Daphne?"

"I'm taking her to the nurse," Mr. Firay interjected before I could reply. "You can manage without me for a few seconds, right?"

"Yeah," Sage responded with a frown. "Are you okay, Daphne?"

"I'm fine."

"You sure?"

"I'm sure," I stated, offering him a small smile. "I'm just going to the nurse to be safe."

Sage nodded. "Okay. Careful."

Mr. Firay began to pull me in the direction of the gymnasium exit. I kept my head straight ahead, doing my best to avoid Jackson's gaze. For the first time since the gang had been locked up I was scared. No, that wasn't the appropriate word. I was intimidated… unnerved.

"That little ass," Mr. Firay growled as soon as we stepped out into the hall. He stopped in the little alcove over the gymnasium door. "He did that on purpose!"

I looked up at Mr. Firay in surprise. "What do you mean?"

"He served that ball while you weren't paying attention on purpose. I _watched_ him do it. With that stupid smirk on his face…"

He did that on purpose? My heart sunk in my chest. What was he up to? Did he want something from me? Why would he do that on purpose?

A soft hand on my cheek pulled me from my thoughts. Mr. Firay gave me a bothered look. "Are you really okay?"

Smiling, I put my hand on top of his. "I'm okay."

"Be careful around Jackson… I don't trust him," Mr. Firay, moving his hand away from my face, but taking my hand with his.

"I don't trust him either," I murmured, sighing.

Mr. Firay caught my eye and for a moment we stared at each other. An overwhelming urge to kiss him washed over me, but I quickly forced it away. We were in school. People were all around us and could walk by any second. He seemed to be having the same thoughts, for he quickly let go of my hand. I blushed, taking a step back away from him.

"Do we really need to go to the nurse?"

Mr. Firay shook his head, chuckling. "No. But we can take a walk and say we stopped there."

"Sounds like a plan," I responded, finding a new smile. "Shall we go, Mr. Firay?"

"We shall, Ms. Grimm."

I made a face at him and he laughed again, gently pushing my shoulder. "Just walk."

* * *

**A/N. **Dun dun dunn. Sorry there was no talk of what happened with Sabrina and Puck. I was to include it at the beginning of this chapter, but I'm leaving for Orlando (again) tomorrow, so I wanted to post this how it was.

Anyone remember that riddle I put in FTFT, about Wendell's girlfriend? _"Everytime it's been sung, it has given this girl bruises and many injuries." _I think I'll have that as the QotW…but I won't give away the answer. So, the QotW is: **Who will Wendell end up with? **Hee hee. And also, your answer…_be careful_ with the name that you put as your answer. As we all know, there are people who give themselves 's all I'm saying. *zips and locks lips and hides the key*

FINALLY. Review replies to the "Guests":

Chapter 1:

E.M.B.: Your review made my day, really. Thank you so much! I'm glad I've been an inspiration to you because, wow, that makes me feel happy! Keep writing because you'll always get better at it. Thank you for taking the time to review. :)

Chapter 4:

killer bunnies: IT was great. :) I love going to CA. Especially to see my other families. I don't really care about going sightseeing; I like vacations because I get to be around people that I love a lot more than usual. The MOVIE WAS EPICAL. What's funny is that Sage isn't bisexual. :) He's awesome. Hahah, :D ExACTLY. Shame on you, Daphne! ;D Nico, Nico, Nico, Nico! Ahh. Love that kid.

Autumn: Not sure if I replied back to you on FB, but I'm going to anyways, here. That's okay. :D Lol, how ironic: I was just eating Frosted Flakes for breakfast. It was AMAZING. Seriously. Go watch it. Ditzy, yes. LOL, close. ;D

PenguinLoverGurl: Fine. *vaporizes you with chocolate strawberries instead* HAHAHAH. That's okay, haha, I wasn't really mad. :D Sounds like many things happened to you. :D Aw, that's not cool at all. Inter-connecting-webs sounds like a smarty pants word. :D Aw. NOOO. Go back in time so you can go to your soccer camp agian! Oh, but that's cool. :) NMW IS AMAZING. Lol, I love Mort! Hahaha, you should watch the whole thing. BRAVE. Gosh, love that movie. Annabeth is aaammmaazziinnngg.

Chapter 5: 

Prometheus Girl: ...Next level? Um, question: How many months does it take to get to the next level? I think MSeed and Daphne have only been dating for a month, but your suggestion is noted, don't worry. :) Really, thanks so much! You're awesome. :) I can't update every day, though, because that's a lot of work right there. Thanks again!

Airene Archerway NLI: I think you did review...I dunno, lol. HAPPY BIRTHDAY AGAIIN! Hahha, Phineas and Ferb is great. Oh, thanks. :) Hahah, that's awesome. :) That's okay. Wait, are you in high school? Because that would make sense if you were learning that in high school. :) I think I'm good in listening to Filipino, not speaking, haha. Oh, Gym, how we loathe you so...though, I am good at volleyball. :) No, no, this review length was absolutely Pucktastic. :D

killer bunnies: Lol, I won't. But what are you going to do after the story's over? Hahah, I love Matt, too. :D Lol, I'm glad you liked it. :D Well, we'll never know... True dat. Henry might even kick MSeed out. Lol, I'm glad your day got better. :) Yup. No one chose Percy. Crazy, right? :D

Chapter 6:

PenguinLoverGurl: Lololol. Actually, it says your name is "Anonymous", not "Guest" in my email, ahah. I'm so glad someone finally commented on the Bustin Jieber thing. :D Well, you and Curlscat were the only ones to comment, lol. Thanks! :D Lol: :c) Correct. :D OMG OMG OMG HAHAHAH! I LOVE THAT VIDEO. But it should be "Filipinos" :( Love it, though!

killer bunnies: I do that. :D Not the aunt/uncle part (though, I do have a five year old nephew who's a model). Yup. I have an aunt who's younger than my brother, and he's seven. Lol, me too. It looks like Puck is the one having the baby because his emotions are so wild, haha. I love that name. :D Awesome choice! I only have two siblings. :) Thanks!

emowriter: Hahaha, I'm so glad you liked it! Lol, I liked that part, too. Aw, that makes me happy! Thanks for your anon. reviews!

...That's all. :D I even got through most of the signed in ones. :) Feelin' accomplished! Next update: next week. I'm going to try and actually update on time this time. :)

Hope you guys have a great Fourth of July weekend!

~Lara


	8. Chapter o8: Biology

**A/N. **_Really_ sorry for the delayed updates. Admittedly, I've spent most of my time reading fanfics and Wattpad stories (there are _so_ many good fanfics out there, you just have to find them ^^) and replying to PMs and reviewers…It's really nice because all my friends outside FF: A) are at camp, B) are traveling, or C) do not have any way to talk to me besides Facebook. So I like talking to FF people about a lot of things, and what's funny is that I've talked more with you guys than my friends outside FF. I think the longest I've held a real conversation with my friend would be…15 minutes. And I have a PM conversation with someone that's really, really long. If I put it on Word, our conversation would probably be about 22 pages –and we're still talking.

Sorry, getting off track. :3 Um, I'll try to work better on updates; probably just need to sleep and wake up earlier. But thank you all again for the wonderful feedback and taking time to talk with me! Really, I love you guys like sisters.

The QotW was about Wendell, right? I'm not going to delve into that just yet, so it's sort of a we're-skipping-this-question-for-now-because-last-time-I-could-not-think-up-a-good-QotW. But here's a hint: _She was born with a different name, then she changed it to the name she has now._

But I _do _have a new QotW: **What movie are you most looking forward to this second-half of 2012? **I cannot _wait _for the Rise of the Guardians, and Hotel Transylvania (mainly because Jack Frost is really good looking in the preview, and HT comes out on my three-year anniversary of FanFiction)! I just watched the new Ice Age yesterday…haha, loved it. Really funny. I forgot the white tiger's name, but she and Diego remind me of Puck and Sabrina. Diego has green eyes, Shira (looked it up) has blue, and they fight in the beginning. And I love Sid's grandma. She was awesome.

How many reviews do we have? Holy crab! Almost 150! Give yourselves a pat on the back. Thanks so much again! Your reviews always manage to make my week happier. I kid not. :D

Enjoy your chapter!

* * *

_Chapter 8: Biology_

I stared at the sign posted on the door of the biology room. _Lab Day_. For a second I panicked, looking around for Wendell. Finally my eyes landed on him as he came around the corner of the science wing. My eyes shifted to the right, where Anna was literally clinging to Wendell. Her arms were wrapped around one of Wendell's. I narrowed my eyes suspiciously at them as they grew closer.

"Hey Daphne!" Anna chirped, sending me a radiant smile. "How are you today?"

"Good," I responded slowly. "So… You two dating now or something?"

Wendell laughed loudly, scratching the back of his head with a free hand. "Of course not!"

"We're just friends," Anna informed me. "For now," she added with a wink.

Wendell flushed while I did my best to smile at the girl beside him. Was she joking, or was she telling the truth? They pushed past me, into the classroom. I stayed where I was, frowning at the floor. It would be good for Wendell to get a girlfriend…

"Hey, Daphne."

My eyes snapped up from the ground, landing on the familiar unusual color of Jackson's orbs. As an automatic reaction, I stepped away from him. He smirked.

"Something wrong?"

"No," I responded calmly, narrowing my eyes. "I'm just thinking about going to get a drink…"

He cocked his head to the side. "Don't you want to see your favorite person ever? I'm sure he's waiting."

My heart skipped a beat and I did my best to keep my face composed. "I'm sure Wendell can wait…"

"Wendell?" Jackson reiterated with a laugh. "I think we _both_ know that's not who I was talking about."

Setting my jaw, I tried to push my way past him, but he quickly grabbed my shoulder, forcing me back against the hall wall. I stared at him with wide eyes as he held me in place, giving me a stern look.

"Let me go," I demanded.

"I'm warning you now, Daphne. It's not going to work out."

"I don't know what you're talking about!"

"_Yes_, you do!" he growled. "Don't act dumb!"

"I'm not acting!"

"Yes you are!"

"I'm not—"

He cut me off, pressing my shoulder harder into the wall. "Daphne, I'm just trying to help—"

"Is something wrong here?"

Both Jackson's and my attention turned towards the classroom doorway, where Mr. Firay was standing, his jaw clenched. ...Mr. Firay?

I stared at him as Jackson promptly dropped his arm, sending Mr. Firay a polite smile. "Nothing wrong here, Sir. Why are you in biology, if I may ask?"

"Ms. Dayscall caught a fever, and she asked me to subsitute for now."

"Since when?" I asked. I didn't know he was filling in for Ms. Dayscall.

Mr. Firay narrowed his eyes at Jackson, ignoring my question. "You're going to be late. You better head inside the classroom."

Jackson saluted him. "Of course, _Sir_." He turned to me, dropping his polite expression. "I'll talk to you later, Daphne."

I swallowed nervously, watching his back as he disappeared into the classroom just as the bell rang overhead. Mr. Firay let out a deep breath, as if he had been holding onto it for a long time. I gazed at him, suddenly feeling embarrassed.

"Sorry about that," I murmured, sending my eyes downcast. "You caught us in an awkward situation…"

His feet appeared in my vision, but I didn't look up. "Did he hurt you?"

I shook my head vehemently. "No he was just…" I trailed off. There was no way I could tell Mr. Firay what Jackson knew. Mr. Firay had said we'd have to break up if anyone found out! "He just wanted to copy my homework and I told him no."

"Daphne?"

"Yeah?"

"Look at me."

I hesitated a moment, but Mr. Firay forced my head up with his hand. His eyes pierced into mine. "Don't forget I can tell if you're lying."

My cheeks heated up. "I'm sorry, but—"

"I won't pry, but promise me you'll tell me if he threatens you," he implored, giving me a beseeching look. "I don't trust that kid. Especially after the other day."

Taking aback by his frankness, it took me a moment to respond. "O-of course," I finally promised him, a warm feeling spreading through me. He was really cute when he was being protective.

"Good," he said, letting go of my face.

I looked up at him. "So…I didn't know you knew a lot about biology."

He smirked. "Science has always been an easy subject for me. I actually have a degree for biology, you know."

How did I not know that? "Oh."

Mr. Firay smiled slightly. "I'm going to go back in now. You come in after a few moments, okay?"

I nodded. "Sure."

Obeying Mr. Firay's command, I decided to go to the bathroom before reentering the classroom. People were already seated at the lab tables, and Mr. Firay was in the middle of passing out the labs. I searched for Wendell and found him, seated at our usual lab table… with Anna. My heart dropped into my gut. Wendell hadn't even to ask me if it was okay to switch partners? He was _always_ my partner!

My mouth went dry when I realized there was only one other person in this class I could be paired up with since it was an even number before the twins came. If Anna was with Wendell, that meant Jackson would be… My eyes went to the far corner of the classroom, near the supply room where they landed on Jackson. He smirked, waving me over. I eventually obliged, knowing there were no other open partners.

He leaned over the desk towards me. "So, how'd your meeting with your secret lover go?"

I glowered back at him. "I don't have a secret lover!"

He scoffed. "Please. I saw you."

"Saw me _when_?"

"When do you think?" he asked sarcastically. "When is the only other time where you've seen me?"

I shook my head at him. "That's it though. I've never seen you before!"

His expression became blank. "What?"

"The first time I saw you was on the first day you transferred here," I informed him. "Never before then."

"You must be stupid then."

"Excuse me?"

"Excuse me?" he mimicked in a high-pitched voice.

Trying to control my anger, I clenched my fists. "You're really pissing me off!"

He raised an eyebrow. "Oh, so the innocent little girl in front of me uses such vulgar words?"

"You…"

"I bet your boyfriend doesn't like that."

"I don't have a boyfriend," I hissed at him, looking over my shoulder for a split second. Mr. Firay was safely on the other side of the classroom,

Jackson sighed deeply. "Daphne, I'm just trying to tell you it won't work out. I have nothing against you personally. I just know what will happen."

"I don't know what you're talking about," I responded, doing my best to keep my "playing dumb" façade up.

He pursed his lips at me. "I'm serious, Daphne."

"So am I."

"Lab?"

I jumped violently as Mr. Firay appeared at my side, handing Jackson a packet of papers. I sent him a small smile as he handed me my lab. A smile was normal right? Jackson wouldn't find anything suspicious about it… Or would he? I quickly dropped it, turning to look at my lab. It was better to be safe than sorry.

"What is this? Dragon Baby Lab?" Jackson read out loud, furrowing his eyebrows. "What kind of lab is this?"

Mr. Firay chuckled. "A lab we're doing by popular demand."

"Huh," Jackson commented skeptically. "This is about genes… We're making babies today. Did you hear that, Daphne? What should we name our kid? Bryant?"

Mr. Firay sucked in a quick breath of air from beside me as my eyes nearly popped out of my sockets. He must have composed himself quickly because Jackson didn't give him a second look, but he stared at me like I was crazy.

"What?" Jackson demanded.

"I-I… Nothing," I said quietly, turning my head away.

Mr. Firay's face was expressionless as he stared at Jackson. Jackson gave him a curious look, leaning back on his stool.

"Do I have something on my face?"

Mr. Firay shook his head. "No. Bryant's just the name of my… pet dog that died the other week."

"Oh. Sorry dude."

I couldn't pull my gaze away from Jackson. Did he know something? Or was that a coincidence? Could he know Bryant? Was that how he knew about Mr. Firay and I? That made sense but…

Mr. Firay disappeared from my side as someone called his name from across the room. Jackson gave me a questioning look. "Why do you keep staring at me like that?"

"Do you know Bryant?" I demanded frankly. "Tell me the truth."

He furrowed his eyebrows. "I don't know anyone named Bryant. Why? Is he an ex-boyfriend?"

I almost laughed. So it was a coincidence. It was too weird though. "Something like that," I responded to Jackson's question. "Only a bit more to that."

"He was abusive?"

"Um, sure."

Jackson frowned. "Is that why you feel the need to date more mature?"

I scowled at him. Couldn't he let it drop? "I'm not dating anyone, Jackson."

"So do you want to date me?"

"No."

He made a face. "Oh, shot down…"

"Let's just make our dragon babies," I said with a sigh. "What do we need?"

"It says we need Mr. Firay to come give us our female traits and our male traits," Jackson read from the lab. He looked past me, making an annoyed look. "Looks like we'll have to wait awhile. Anna has her flirt face on."

Without realizing what I was doing, I turned in her direction. She was giggling at something, lightly slapping Mr. Firay on the arm. I narrowed my eyes at her. Wendell caught my look and sent me a guilty one. I shrugged at him. It was his fault Anna flirted with everything that had two legs.

"She's such a slut."

My head whipped back to Jackson. "What?" Why would he say that about his sister?

Jackson snorted. "Don't tell me you don't think so."

"I don't—"

"Even though she flirted with your boyfriend _and_ your best friend?"

For some reason, I felt offended. "You shouldn't call your sister such a horrible name."

"It's true though."

"It's fine if girls flirt with guys! Guys flirt with multiple girls all the time!"

"Yeah, well she also dated her teacher while she was dating _my_ best friend," Jackson snapped. "It's a good thing they got caught, otherwise she'd still be leading my friend on."

I winced at his harsh tone. "But she's still your sister…"

"She should have learned her lesson. Sometimes I wish she could fall down a cliff…" He chuckled, as if he had made an inside joke. "Or a hill, to be more accurate."

"Jackson!"

He immediately sent me a sour expression. "Whatever. But don't come crying to me when she starts dating your boyfriend and best friend at the same time."

"My boyfriend wouldn't cheat on me!"

A smirk spread across his face. "I thought you said you didn't have a boyfriend?"

"I…" I blanked, feeling my face heat up.

Jackson snickered. "Nice one."

I glowered at him. "I meant if I had a boyfriend he wouldn't cheat on me."

"Sure you did."

"I did!"

"Just like you were at Daphne's wedding alone?"

My heart stopped. Jackson gave me a smug look, resting his chin in his hand. I kept eye contact with him, my mind racing for an excuse. He saw me at Daphne's wedding? I would have recognized him if he'd been there! Was he trying to fool me? But he knew Daphne… That's why he looked shocked when he saw me for the first time! Same with Anna! My hands suddenly felt freezing and I gripped the edge of the lab table, trying to control their shaking.

"You saw me…?"

"I saw you, your boyfriend, your friend, Ariana, and her friend," Jackson clarified for me. "We made eye contact. Don't you remember?"

I stared at him for a moment, searching my memories. Where could I have seen him…?

_Guests were turning in their seats, looking all around them. My gaze met a pair of sharp looking eyes from a young man in the row in front of us. He narrowed his eyes slightly, and I quickly adverted my gaze, turning to Mr. Firay._

Jackson raised an eyebrow when my eyes widened. He was the sharp-eyed guy? Panic flared up in me. That meant he actually knew about Mr. Firay and I! He knew our secret.

"I take it you remember?"

"You can't tell _anyone_."

He chortled. "I don't think you have the right to be telling me what I can or can't do, Daphne. You're not the one who knows _my_ secret."

I clenched my jaw, swallowing nervously. This was _not_ good.

* * *

**A/N. **:D We find how Jackson and Anna know Daphne! It's actually a good thing I update this slow, or else I bet you guys would've remembered figured it out quickly. :D

But…what's Jackson's secret? DUN DUN DUN!

Yeah, in Jordan's original version, Matt/Chris is a biology teacher. And what was mentioned in this chapter would not work if they were in Home Ec, so I made him a substitute for the day. In case anyone wants to know why.

QotW is, again, **What movie are you looking forward to? **

**Review replies:**

**E.M.B.:** Hahah, I see _every _review. :D I don't always reply to all of them, but I see all. You're so very welcome. :D Oh, haha, actually, I've never watched it (is shot down by AVPM fans), but my friend is a mad lover, and she called me supermegafoxyawesomehot on dA, and I've always used it. :D Haha, I'm so glad you liked it. _Does _he know about Matt and her? Or does he think something else? Maybe he knows about the gang. :D We shall never know until that chapter is posted. :D In your free time, I recommend reading any other of Jordan Lynde's stories: ESPECIALLY BELIEVE ME, I'M LYING! That is a great story. Haha, you're very welcome! Thank you so much for your review! That'd be amazing if you got an account! Be sure to tell me your name! ^^

PenguinLoverGurl: Hmm…but what's her name-name? Hint: That's not the name she was born with. Yes he is. :D He reminds me of Matt…what about you? Glad you liked it! ^^ Thanks! Back at chu!

Cool. I actually got through all the anon. reviews. Just the signed in ones. Still got a lot of stuff to do, though. D:

I'll try to update earlier next week! ^^ Hope you're all having a sweet summer –mine ends in less than a month. _Fun_.

~Lara


	9. Chapter o9: Déjà Vu

**A/N. **I have decided that I have become a fail updater this summer.

Now that that's out of the way, I've been drawing lots and lots, and watching lots and lots of anime (EoT: I've finally gotten to watching Sgt. Frog and now my brother loves it), so I really have no excuse for this delayed update. I've been sad lately; miss my school friends. Heck, I haven't seen anyone since school ended…well, except for my friend Katrina, but that was at chruch and doesn't count. Anyways, I'm really sorry these updates are…ehh. Maybe when I actually go back to school and do work, I'll have lots of motivation to update normally. :3

So, I will probably be updating -hopefully- _two _more times maybe this week. _Hopefully_. _Probably_. _Maybe_.

_(YO! I have a new poll on my profile! It's about three PJO/SG crossovers I'm planning to write, but can't decide which one to write first. Wanna help me? Vote up!)_

Winners of the QotW:** emowriter** (because Jack Frost rocks), **killer bunnies **(because superheros ARE awesome), and **PenguinLoverGurl **(because I do see this fairytale-remakes-pattern going on). I picked three because I'm not picky today.

Challenge of the Week: "I wish she'd fall down a cliff –or a hill, to be more accurate." ~Putting the pieces together, you figured it out. But now you have to find the two clues that hinted to Jackson and Anna's identities besides their names. The clues are in chapter 7, I'll give you that. If anyone actually finds the second one, you'll get … something. Oooh! A sneak peek of the next chapter! Good?

By the way, we hit 170 reviews! WHOOHOO! Wasn't I just saying we were getting to 150 last chapter? Wow! Thanks so much everyone! ^^ *brings out cake* Oh, is there a surprise inside? *Sage pops out of cake* Tadaaaa!

Enjoy!

(Fun Fact: I wanted to name this chapter "Déjà-freaking-vu" for some reason, haha. :3)

* * *

_Chapter 9: Déjà Vu _

"Daphne! Where were you today?"

I winced, pulling the phone away from my ear as Ariana shouted into it. "I'm sick," I lied, crossing my fingers. "I guess you gave me your illness."

"Oh! I'm sorry!"

A grimace crossed my face. "Don't be." The real reason why I skipped school was because I was afraid to face Jackson. Obviously he hadn't told anyone (there would have been an uproar on Facebook if he had), but it was too intimidating to see him right now, just in case he decided to.

"I missed you today!"

I cocked my head to the side. "Ariana… was that Sage?"

"Yup," she responded cheerfully.

"Why are you with him?" I inquired, a smirk spreading across my lips. _Perhaps Sage is making a move?_

Sage said something I didn't catch in the background, causing Ariana to laugh. "Hold on, Daphne. Sage wants to talk to you."

"Wait, answer my question—"

"What question?"

"Hi. Sage."

"You missed gym class today!" he cried loudly. "Anna was all over me."

My eyebrows furrowed. Wasn't she all over Wendell yesterday? "What about Wendell?"

"He was hanging out with Ariana. But you should have seen Anna; she was making up all these excuses to touch me."

"Sage, you can't—"

He cut me off. "I know! Ariana reminded me. A bit forcefully, mind you."

I sighed lightly. "You probably deserved it. You can't just flirt with the students, Sage."

"I know," he muttered. "But it's hard for a handsome, dashing, beautiful, twenty year old man like myself to _not_ flirt. It's— ow!"

"Ow?"

"Ariana hit me!" Sage complained. "She's so violent— I mean cute, haha. Cute…"

I grinned. What I'd do to be in that car right now… "Why are you together again?"

"She needed a ride home," Sage informed me. "Hold on, I'm giving the phone back to Ariana."

There was the sound of the phone being passed off and then I heard Ariana's breath. "By the way Daphne, Mr. Firay wants you to call him."

My heart skipped a beat. "He does? Why?"

"He said Jackson said something or something like that… He sounded pretty irritated."

Suddenly I felt like I was going to be sick. Did Jackson tell Mr. Firay he knew? What was Mr. Firay going to do about it? I clenched onto my phone. "Did he say anything else?"

"Nope," Ariana responded, popping the P. "But Jackson's going to stop by and give you your homework at some point."

"_What?_"

"What what?"

As if on cue, the doorbell downstairs rang. My heart leapt into my throat. "How does he know my address?"

"I told him," Ariana responded slowly. "Don't you want your homework so you don't have as much make-up work?"

"Why couldn't Sage bring it?"

Ariana stayed silent for a moment. "Why do you make it sound like Jackson is an ax-murderer?"

The doorbell rang again. After hesitating another moment I finally pushed myself off my bed, heading towards the door. "Have Sage tell Matt I'll call him in half an hour. If I don't, have him come to my house."

"Sure."

"Okay bye," I responded, snapping my phone shut. When I reached the door I paused, debating on pretending I wasn't home. _Come on, Daphne. Man up_. Scowling at the voice in my head, I yanked open the door.

Not to my surprise, Jackson was standing there, his damp hair matted to his forehead. It took me a minute to realize it was raining out. Jackson's eyes swept over me from head to toe, a small smirk crossing his face. I dropped my gaze, realizing I was still in my pajamas. My way too short shorts and tank top. With unicorns on them, of course.

"So are you going to let me in or make me stand here in the rain?"

Reluctantly, I stepped aside and let him in. Even if I didn't like him, it'd be cruel of me to make him stand out there. He scurried in and I shut the door behind him, crossing my arms over my chest.

"So do you have my makeup work?"

"Do you have some hot chocolate? It was really cold out there…"

I shook my head. "I'm sick, so I just want to go back to bed."

He grinned. "Or do you want to call your boyfriend?"

"No!" I denied immediately, feeling my face grow warm.

"You're a horrible liar," he commented, brushing by me. "Where's the kitchen? Make me some hot chocolate."

For a second I blanked. It was like déjà vu. Except this was Jackson, not Mr. Firay. A scowl took a place on my face. "You can't order me around in my own house!"

He glanced back at me. "Actually, I believe I can. Unless you want the school to find about you and your boyfriend."

My heart dropped into my gut. Blackmail? That was just like Mr. Firay too… Except this was completely different. He was making me _angry_. "Look! It's none of your business! Just butt out!"

"I do believe it is my business," he responded simply.

"No it's not!"

He rolled his eyes. "Please. My sister did the same thing you're doing. I'm not stupid."

"What am I doing?" I cried, clenching my fists. "I'm not doing anything!"

"You're just trying to act innocent."

"No I'm not!"

"Yes you are," he responded in a hard voice. "I _hate_ people like you."

I opened my mouth to yell at him, but stopped short. How could he hate me when he didn't know me? "What am I doing?" I said, forcing the words out between my clenched teeth.

"Don't you think it's obvious you're getting better grades than everyone else because you bang the teacher?"

My hand acted on its own accord, and before I realized it, it had connected with Jackson's face. He took a step back in surprise. I glared at him, my cheeks red with anger. "I don't bang the teacher! We hardly even kiss! And I don't get better grades than anyone else!"

"Can you prove that?" Jackson demanded, moving closer to me again. "You and Anna are the same type of person! Don't try to make me think differently!"

"You don't know me!" Tears were starting to well up in my eyes now out of anger. "Give me my homework and go home."

His look softened. "Daphne, I just want to help."

"So you've said before," I snapped. "I don't need help. We're not doing anything illegal. If you haven't realized it, I'm eighteen. A legal adult."

His eyes widened. "What? You are?" he asked, taken aback.

"I'm not stupid enough to date my teacher when I'm underage, Jackson," I told him, trying to hold back my anger.

"But you'll still get in trouble."

"Why do you care?"

He set his jaw. "That's none of your business."

"Then stop acting like you've known me your whole life."

"Stop dating your teacher."

"No."

He narrowed his eyes. "I'll tell everyone."

"Go ahead," I dared him, my hands shaking as anger washed over me again. "But we'll just deny it. No one will believe you."

"That may be true," he agreed. "But I bet they'll believe me since I have witnesses."

That threw me off guard. "Witnesses to what?"

"If I told you, you'd find some way to make it seem like what you did was fine," he responded simply. "So if you'd like your relationship kept a secret, you listen to me from now on…"

I glowered at him. Who did he think he was? More tears of frustration welled up in my eyes. Why couldn't the world just leave Mr. Firay and I alone? We'd been through more than anyone could imagine, and now this moron showed up. It was like the world was trying to keep us apart.

A loud chime resounded abruptly as the doorbell went off again. Confused, I glared at Jackson once more before trudging over to it. I quickly wiped my eyes with the back of my hand before opening it. To my stupefaction, Mr. Firay was standing there. His eyes narrowed when he took in my expression.

"Daphne—"

"Mr. Firay?"

Mr. Firay's eyes snapped to Jackson, his expression becoming confused. "Jackson?"

"What are you doing here?" Jackson inquired, a smirk crossing his face. He glanced at me, giving me a knowing look.

"He's my mom's friend," I lied quickly. "Sorry, Mr. Firay. She's not home right now…"

He frowned. "Is that so?"

"Yup…"

"I'll be on my way then," he said slowly, his eyes searching mine. "Unless she'll be home soon?"

I shook my head. "Nope. She won't be back until later tonight. I'll have her call you."

He pursed his lips. "All right then. See you later, Ms. Grimm."

"I'll walk you to your car," Jackson offered, grinning at him. "I'm leaving now, too. See you tomorrow, Daphne."

I stayed silent, staring determinedly past Mr. Firay, at his car parked in my driveway. Jackson chuckled, patting my shoulder with his hand as he passed. I clenched my jaw, feeling the anger return. After a worried glance from Mr. Firay, he turned and followed Jackson down the path. I closed the door behind them, wandering towards the kitchen again.

Jackson hadn't even given me my homework. A deep sigh left my lips as I sat down at the island, dropping my head onto my arms. Being angry took a lot out of me. I'd never been so angry in my life. I felt my cheeks grow hot again, but the time due to embarrassment. How could I let him rile me up so easily? It wasn't like me at all. But the part about me using my body for grades was unjustified. Was he really just trying to help me?

I groaned in frustration. If he wanted to help me, he wouldn't harass me. I didn't see how Anna and I were alike at all. I wasn't doing anything wrong by being together with Mr. Firay. I refused to think for a second it was wrong. We were both young people in love. It just so happened that he was my teacher.

"Daphne?"

I jumped violently, my head snapping towards the doorway. Mr. Firay was standing there, a concerned look on his face. Immediately I pushed myself off my stool, staggering over towards him.

"Are you okay?" he demanded, putting his hands on my shoulder. "You've been crying." It was a statement, not a question.

"I wasn't crying," I muttered. "I just got angry…"

"Why? Did Jackson do something to you?" he questioned, his voice suddenly hard. "What was he doing here?"

I quickly shook my head. "No! He didn't do anything. He just…" I trailed off, hesitating. I couldn't let Mr. Firay know Jackson knew. "He brought me the homework I missed today. I stubbed my toe and… Yeah."

Mr. Firay frowned deeply at me. "You're picking up a bad habit of lying, Daphne."

Without warning I threw myself at him, wrapping my arms around his body tightly. "I'm sorry."

He returned my hug. "It's okay. It must be something that's hard to talk about."

That wasn't the half of it. I held onto him tighter. "Kind of."

"I'll wait for you to tell me then," he said, rubbing my back soothingly. "So are you really sick? Or did you just skip?"

"Er… I skipped," I told him honestly.

He chuckled, pushing my away from him. "Good."

"Good? That's not something a teacher should say…"

He rolled his eyes. "Not good that you skipped. Good that you're not sick."

"Why?"

"Because I couldn't do this."

He leaned down and pressed his lips to mine. Before I could respond, he pulled back. I frowned, putting my hands to his face and pulling it back down. He raised an eyebrow. "Since when are you so aggressive?"

I flushed and dropped my hands. "I-I'm not being aggressive!"

He chuckled again, grabbing my hands. "I'm kidding, Daphne. But usually you just stand there awkwardly and blush."

"Sorry," I muttered.

"Don't be. It's one of the things I like about you," he responded, kissing my forehead.

I smiled at him, wrapping my arms around him again. It was comfortable enough just being in his arms. Whatever Jackson said didn't matter. So what if he did tell? If worse came to worse we could just break up for a while. He didn't have anything us.

"I love you, Matt," I said, feeling cheery all of a sudden.

"I love you, too," he responded. "And I'm glad you're feeling better."

I looked up at him in surprise. "Huh?"

"Daphne, I've been in love with you for almost half a year. I can tell when you're upset about something."

"You can?"

"Sure can," he said, flicking my nose.

I frowned. "I can't do that with you…"

"I hide my feelings well," he responded with a smirk. "Some of us aren't open books…"

I turned my face away from him. _Jerk._

* * *

**A****/N. **All right. I have some work to do:

Mixed Review Replies (meaning –including people who have accounts):

Autumn: Hahah, I only know the words to "Spider Pig". :P It would be funny, huh? Thanks!

GrimmGirlLove: I really want to see it! Especially since it comes out on my anniversary! ^^ Brave was freakin' amazing. Especially since I watched it in the AMC Theater…dear goodness, that was so amazing… Thanks! ^^

Laylaenchantix101: Lol, really want to see that movie! Yep, I think so. It's a mix of Transport and Pennsylvania. XD I think!

Airene Archerway: Yup, but do you have to speak it so publicly? XD Just kidding. The only people who really read these replies are the people I reply to. Gee, I'm glad. :D I gave out a bunch of hints at the beginning though! I'm sad no one got it until I put in "hill". DX But anyways, thanks!

Emowriter: Hahah, I love you, too! In a sisterly way, of course. Goooo Jack! I fell in love with him in Lizalot's drawing of him –he was so darn cute. Hahah. Nope, they did not! :D Lol, you forgot the last part? Actually, I'm planning on making him…a bit more likeable after the drama passes and whatnot. But…EW. That is very mentally gross. WHOOOHOOO! Go Spiderman! ^^ MIB was pretty good when I saw it –creepy at the beginning with the two weirdos tonguing, but it was awesome anyways. ITTTTSSS SSOOO GOOODD, ISN'T IT?

Guest: Thanks so much! ^^ Hahah, you're welcome. DoaWK is a good book series. :D Thanks again!

Yorkie999777000: My guts aren't tasty, trust me. They're filled with mango ice cream, chips, hi-chew, and crab remnants.

Puckabrina-FAXfan: "Jack fell down and broke his –crown-…" :D Are you right? Are you? Are you? Thanks for the review!

Guest: Is it? :D Thanks so much! :D Glad you like the story!

Crazylame1: Ahhh! Wasn't it so good? Oh my gosh, my sister and I are obsessed with that song –made up a dance for the first part, learned to play the first part on the piano. :D Brave came out a while ago, actually, hah. Action is good, but I still don't like Twilight much. :3 Thanks!

Twilightfunatic: Tsk, tsk, tsk. You are…the…5th? 4th? 3rd? Oh well, I can't blame you –Jordan's writing is pretty magical. …You SO should've read more of ASR –he actually kisses her (HAHAHAHAH! CHRIS IS SO MAD!). …She wants the twins together? That's twincest! I like him too…you know, after he's stopped going after Daphne and all. And he's only doing it out of love, so it's pretty bittersweet. Hahah. XD Thanks for your review! I seriously have no heard from you in a long time.

Killer bunnies: I don't think…maybe? I'll check. :D True true true! Actually have the Batman Video Game on my Wii. Lol, what guys will do for love. XD Haha, true. And yes, that'd be really bad, so I can see where your feelings are coming from. Yep, they're the two who went up a hill, then just fell down. Thanks for your review! I love your reviews…

PenguinLoverGurl: I disagree with the middle school thing, but totally feel for you on the uniforms…except, this year (my last year of middle), we get much better uniforms (elementary uniforms are disastrous). Awesome. :D Lol, nice! A very original answer. …you serious? Wow…And yes, yes I have. OMG! I wonder who's going to play Briar…Thanks! ^^ Heehee. …LOL. That's a cute and funny story. A little, but I loved the story. Thanks! Naw –I think that was stated in FTFT, though, so I can't blame you for forgetting. Lol, now that I think of it…that's pretty funny. :D Me? I have to wake up at 6, but I wake up 6 hours later. Holy crab. OH MY GOSH- exactly. I was just having a conversation with my mom about this earlier.

JewelStone: Your first review? Wow! I'm so honored you picked this story to use it for. :3 Thanks so much! And you're very right. :D Good job putting the clues together! Thanks for the review!

Noodles21: Lol, agreed. I feel like I shouldn't have put in that Hill reference.

Ri4Life: Yep. Thanks! ^^

BigB: I am honored that you humbly bestow your admiration upon me, for I feel most gracious. Haha, thanks! ^^ I'm pretty lazy too, so don't worry. :D Thank you so much for not sending your unicorns after me! I deal with emails, complaints, and violent children every single day, so I feel most relieved. Hahah, I shall do as you request, King of the Circles! Mustardseed, of course. :D Yep. And I hope you do like Sage as much as I do. ^^ And…mayybe. :D Both are so freakin' good looking –Brave was amazing. Lol, really? That must've been hilarious! Aw, thank you very much! That's very thoughtful of you. I'm so glad you liked the Bustin Jieber thing! :D Yay! Cookies and kicks! (owch) Thanks for the review! …Dang, you're taller than me! But we're the same age, so whatevs.

Mini: Hi, hi! I'm updating now, actually, haha. That's okay, haha, we can all afford to be excited about things –I'm especially happy that you're excited for this story. I will, thanks! ^^ Lol, why would there be hard feelings? Thanks again for your review! ^^

Non: Here It is!

Athena: Aw, thank you! And you'll just have to see. :D Aw, thanks so much! Hahah, here's your update! Thanks for the review!

WHOOHOO. The feeling of accomplishment is amazing.

Hopefully I don't miss another update day (I never forget a day, but sometimes I forget to get the chapter _ready_). My summer ends in…less than two weeks. Yay. Anyone ready for school?

~Lara

PS. Late shout-out to my best friend, Jessica, who turned 14 on Thursday. :D Mahal kita and maligayan bati, crib baby friend. :D


	10. Chapter 10: Reactions

**A/N. (**_**ALL**_** REVIEW REPLIES WILL BE AT THE BOTTOM, even the ones for people with accounts, that is all.)**

Whoa. Another update! ^^ Planning one more update this week, too, actually. So, smile! ^^

I just checked out some of the stories in the SG archive, and I'm very happy to see that my friend, yellow.r0se, is getting a lot of readers! Check out "Juliet Never Wore Converses"? It's really great! So are her other stories. :D She didn't ask me to advertise this, but I remembered how she promoted FTFT during the "Best Sisters Grimm Story of 2011", and I had wanted to return the favor for some time. :D

Challenge of the Week winners: **Athena**,**Ri**, **killer bunnies**, and **PenguinLoverGurl**. But PenguinLoverGurl figured the whole thing out. She really explained where I got it from (good use of brains ^-^), so I shall now explain how I got the idea that Jackson/Jack and Anna/Jill are from France.

(But uhh...you're all anons. I can't give you a sneak peek. D: So...I'll give you all shout-outs today! ^^ Sorry about that!)

HISTORY LESSON TIME!

_It is thought that Jack is really based on King Louis XVI of _France _who was beheaded in 1793 (he "broke" his crown) and that Jill is based on his wife, Queen Marie Antoinette, who "came tumbling after"._

Pretty creepy stuff. But it's probably not true since I found it in Wiki. ;D

I know it's summer, but you can't completely forget school, right? Anyways...

New QotW: This is a -haha- different one. I'm going to the orthodontist tomorrow for a monthly brace check-up, and they let me use two colors on my braces. **What two colors should I pick?** I've already had blue and purple, white and white (or a shade close to the color of my teeth so they sort of look invisible) and right now, I have red and white. And I'm using blue and green for another month, so any other color combos besides those I'm down with. :D

Also, in a few, I'm going to make a forum called the Daphne-ish Language Club. Hope I see you guys there. ;D

Filler chapter, unfortunately. See you guys maybe Friday or Saturday. ^^

Enjoy.

_This chapter is dedicated to PenguinLoverGurl, Athena, Ri, and killer bunnies!_ ^^ Whee! You go, girls! ..You're all girls, right?

* * *

_Chapter 10: Reactions_

Excited chatter filled the school halls as I trudged down them, tracking in slush from the latest snowstorm. As I turned a corner, someone coming from the other direction slammed into me, causing my face to meet a shoulder. I didn't have to look up to know who it was.

"Watch were you're going, Ms. Grimm."

"Sorry, Mr. Firay," I muttered, feeling a blush spread across my face.

He grinned down at me. "I really wonder why you blush so easily…"

"Who cares? It makes her look cute."

I started, twisting my head around to see Sage giving me a goofy smile. He abruptly pulled me to his chest, pressing my face into his shirt roughly. Surprised, I allowed him to keep me there for a moment before trying to push away. He just held on tighter.

"You're like a cute little kitten, Daphne," he told me, twisting back and forth. "Matt is one lucky bastard."

Mr. Firay muttered a curse at Sage, who finally let me go. I gave him a reproachful look. "How many times did I say you couldn't do that in school?"

"Not enough," he responded cheekily. "Now I've got to go hunt down Ariana."

"Why?"

He held up her Northface. "She forgot this in my car yesterday."

Mr. Firay furrowed his eyebrows in confusion while I tried my best not to grin. Maybe I didn't need to help Sage and Ariana get together after all. Just then, Ariana decided it would be the perfect moment to round the corner. Sage immediately sprung at her, causing her to jump in fright. I laughed, watching as she smacked Sage upside the head.

"Daphne…"

I turned back to Mr. Firay, my smile faltering. There was that _Daphne, don't even think about it _tone. "What?"

"You have snow in your hair," he told me, running his hand over the top of my head.

I blinked at him. Well, that wasn't what I expected. "W-well it was snowing," I stuttered, running my own hand over my head.

He grinned. "Oh really? I thought it was raining dandruff."

"Good morning, Mr. Firay!"

Once more I started, my heart leaping into my throat as Anna pushed by me, beaming at my boyfriend. I stepped back, trying my best not to slap her. _It's just her personality_, I told myself firmly.

"Morning, Julianne," Mr. Heywood responded, smiling politely at her.

"I didn't know you roamed the halls in the morning," she commented, tugging at a piece of her hair. "It's refreshing to see you!"

He chuckled. "Refreshing?"

She nodded. "Yep!"

"Then it's unfortunate that I'm actually on my way to my classroom," he continued, quickly glancing at me. "I need to set up for first period."

"Do you need any help?"

I stared at Mr. Firay, trying to telepathically tell him to say no. When he shook his head, I almost sighed in relief. If there was one thing I didn't want, it was Anna in the same room as Mr. Firay. Even though I trusted him completely, I didn't trust _her_ at all.

"I can handle it," he told her.

She pouted at him. "Are you sure?"

"I'm positive. I'll see you around, Julianne. You too, Ms. Grimm."

I waved my hand in response, giving him a quick smile. Anna glanced at me, a glum expression on her face. When Mr. Firay began walking away, she moved closer to me.

"Do you think he has a girlfriend?"

"Yes, he does!" I responded, more sharply than I'd meant to. Anna stared at me. I forced myself to look sheepish. "See, you know how I have… Er, a crush on him?"

She nodded.

"At the mall I saw him walking around with his girlfriend and holding her hand…"

Anna put a comforting hand on my shoulder. "I'm sorry, Daphne. I know how that feels."

"Oh, um…" I hesitated, unsure of what to say. She sounded so _sincere_. "Thank you…?"

She grinned at me. "No problem! Ooh, look! It's Mr. Ross!" she pointed behind me. "I'm going to talk to him!"

I twisted around, watching as Anna practically jumped on Sage, just as he had jumped on Ariana. Luckily, Ariana was gone now. I let out a little sigh of relief. If Ariana liked Sage, I didn't want her to be put off by Anna… Especially since Anna liked to hit on almost every guy. Another sigh left my lips.

"Another one, Daphne?"

Was the world trying to give me a heart attack? Ignoring the sudden increase of my heart rate, I gave Jackson a flat look. "Another what?"

He grinned. "Sigh. You know, it's unlucky to sigh an odd number of times."

"That's cool," I responded snippily, still angry with him from yesterday. "I'm going to be late if I don't go to homeroom—"

"Actually there's ten minutes," Jackson interjected, placing a hand on my shoulder. "Can I talk to you for a minute?"

"No."

"Can I talk to you for a minute?" he repeated, lowering his voice. He narrowed his eyes at me.

I returned his look with a hard one. "No."

"Then I'll go to the principal's right now—"

"Fine," I snapped. "What do you want?"

He gently pushed on my shoulder, guiding me back the way I'd come. "Too many people here. You wouldn't want someone over hearing us, would you?"

I shook my head in response, allowing him to usher me down the hallway. As soon as we were out of the crowded main hallway and into the empty science hallway, he let me go. I stepped away from him, putting my hands on my hips.

"Look, if you're going to threaten me—"

"How'd you know?"

"What do you want?" I demanded angrily.

He held up his hands in defense. "Nothing, nothing. I was kidding. I'm not here to threaten you, I just wanted to apologize."

"You… Wanted to apologize?"

He nodded curtly. "I didn't realize you were eighteen."

I furrowed my eyebrows in confusion. "What?"

"My dad's a cop," he explained, giving me an uncomfortable look. "I'm going to become a cop one day too, so people breaking the law are not okay with me. As far as dating a teacher… That's school policy, so there aren't any legal issues."

"What about your sister?"

He scowled. "She's under aged. Still is."

"But…"

"Don't think you're totally off the hook," Jackson said before I could keep talking. "Dating a teacher will _not_ work out, Daphne."

I tensed. "That's none of your business. Didn't we go over this yesterday?"

"I won't tell anyone," he continued, ignoring my question. "Yet."

"You—"

He shook his head. "I won't tell as long as you won't tell."

"What is that even supposed to mean?"

"You don't tell you-know-who I know, and I won't tell the principal _I_ know," he clarified.

The corners of my lips turned down into a frown. "Why can't I tell Matt you know?"

"I don't want any unnecessary trouble. And Matt? You call him by his first name in school?"

"What do you mean by unnecessary trouble?"

"I mean what I mean."

"Jackson."

"Look, your secret is safe with me as long as my secret is safe with you," he snapped.

I frowned at him. Would it really be okay not to tell Mr. Firay? The clear answer was no. But it was better to keep a secret rather than have Mr. Firay lose his job. Jackson cocked his head to the side, waiting for an answer. I chewed on my lip, his eyes never leaving mine. He seemed more civil than before…. And if he tried anything, I could easily just tell Mr. Firay about it. But it still wasn't fair to keep a secret from him.

"I—"

"It's your senior year. You wouldn't want to be expelled four months before you graduate, would you?"

I made a face. He was right. I didn't want to be expelled. For the fourth time that morning, I sighed.

Jackson grinned, thumping me on my shoulder. "There you go, Daphne! Now it's even."

~(*~*)~(*~*)~(*~*)~(*~*)~(*~*)~(*~*)~(*~*)~(*~*)~(*~*)~DIZZY FACE~(*~*)~(*~*)~(*~*)~(*~*)~(*~*)~(*~*)~(*~*)~(*~*)~(*~*)~

"I can't _believe_ her."

I looked up from my desk to see Wendell hovering over me, an expression of annoyance on his face. "Believe who?"

"Her."

I followed his gaze and my eyes landed on Anna, who was working with Daniel on our current biology assignment. Wendell plopped in the seat next to me, muttering moodily under his breath. I didn't know whether to be happy or not that Anna was working with someone else today. On one hand it meant Wendell would want to work with me. On the other hand, it meant Wendell was only working with me because Anna was preoccupied. Although, it was a little frustrating since it seemed like she was leading Wendell on.

"Why do you like her?"

"She's hot."

I jammed my elbow into Wendell's ribs. "You're such a guy!"

He winced, pushing my arm away. "I was kidding, Daphne. She's actually nice. Don't be so quick to judge her."

"I didn't judge her!" I defended myself, staring at Wendell in disbelief. "I didn't even say anything bad about her! Why are you so touchy?"

He gave me sour look. "She definitely doesn't like me."

"Yeah she does," I muttered.

"Really?"

"Yeah. And Mr. Firay and Mr. Ross, and Josh, and Daniel."

Wendell made a face. "I don't want to share…"

"Then don't. Steal away her heart, Wendell! Make her not such a… such a…"

"Hussy?" a new voice offered, momentarily popping to my vision. Jackson gave me a cheeky grin. "See? I tried using a nicer word."

I pursed my lips at him. "Don't—"

"Don't call Anna that!" Wendell snapped at him. "You're her brother! Why don't you try being a little more sensitive?"

He gave Wendell a sarcastic look. "Sensitive? What does that mean?"

"I'll show you what it means," Wendell responded, pushing up from the desk.

I quickly put my hand on his shoulder, stopping him. "Wendell, cut it out. You're acting like a lovesick puppy."

"Woof," Jackson added with a sly smile.

Wendell moved towards Jackson, but I held him back. "No, Wendell!" He tried to shove me off him, but I held tight. "Wendell! Wendell! Stop!"

"Daphne, let go!"

"No! You're acting stupid, Wendell!"

He glowered at me. "What if I called your boyfriend a—"

"A what?" I interjected, clenching my jaw at him. "Calm down, Wendell. Everybody has opinions on people."

"Some of them are right, some of them are wrong," Jackson added, examining the tips of his fingers.

Wendell made a move for him again, but I held onto him tighter. What was with Jackson? Why did he try to rile people up? Was he looking to be punched in the face? Half of me wanted to let Wendell go and have him do it, but it'd be stupid.

"Something wrong here?"

Relief flooded through my chest when I turned my head up and saw Mr. Firay raising an eyebrow at Jackson.

"Just boys being boys," Jackson told him smoothly.

"He called his sister a whore!" Wendell said angrily.

Mr. Firay frowned. "Language, Wendell."

"It's true!"

Jackson gave Wendell another fleeting smirk before sauntering off to the back of the classroom. Wendell sat back own in his seat, crossing his arms.

"Those twins are trouble," Mr. Firay muttered, shaking his head. "So much for a perfect year, Daphne."

I blinked at him. "Mr. Firay…"

His eyes widened in surprise. "Did I say that out loud?" He quickly glanced around and I did the same, seeing if anybody caught his words. Luckily, it didn't seem like anyone had heard.

"That was inconspicuous," Wendell commented sarcastically.

Mr. Firay crossed his arms. "Maybe not, but at least I'm not the one trying to beat someone up for just badmouthing a girl I hardly know."

"Real mature."

"No one can be mature all the time."

Wendell gave him a flat look. "You're an adult."

He smirked. "So are you."

"Oh yeah! Anna is still under aged too, so you couldn't date her anyway," I said slyly, nudging Wendell in the elbow. "Weren't you the one all up in my grill about that a few months ago?"

Wendell pursed his lips at me. "It's different with us."

"No it's not," Mr. Firay and I said simultaneously.

"I'm not five years older than her."

"Four years and…" I trailed off, turning to Mr. Firay. "Wait. When's your birthday?"

He gave me an uncomfortable look. "You should work on your lab."

"No I want to know—"

"I think Kaydie needs some help," he cut me off, glancing at the edge of the room.

I rolled my eyes at him. "If you don't tell me I'll just ask Sage."

The corners of Mr. Firay's mouth tugged up into a smirk. "Not if I tell him not to tell you first and threaten him. Remember, _I_ can use my cell phone in school."

Wendell snickered. "Sucks for you, Daphne."

I scowled at the pair. Leave it to Mr. Firay to use his authority as a teacher to overpower me.

* * *

**A/N. **I guess it wasn't as fillerish as I expected. We got some Jackson and Anna trouble in the chapter. :)

Review Replies (Both Anon and Signed in):

CupinCakes1: I'm going to update one more time this week. :D Either Friday or Saturday! Hope I helped make this easier! ^^ Also, check out my profile from time to time; I update it sometimes to tell people when I update if that helps. :D Thanks again!

broken-immortal: ...He sounds awesome in your head. :3 Sort of like Jack Frost in "The Rise of the Guardians", but older. :D Aw, thank you! Muchos gracias! Tu eres muy sympatico. :D Sanubis FTW. Hey, hey, don't hate on Walt. :D He's pretty awesome, too. And you have to feel sympathetic towards him anyways...Thanks again! ^^

lovelylamb1999: Haha, thank you so much! And yeah, this is the end sequel. If I posted another, I wouldn't know what to do considering I'm not in college yet (if I wrote another sequel, it'd have to be set in college).

PenguinLoverGurl: ^^ Awesome! You figured it out! But I found it out in a different way -yours is a lot more interesting, though. Hahha, it really it funny. I would never discontinue this. Take a break, maybe, but not discontinue. :D Hahah. Oh, wow. Weird. OMG! YOU'RE COMING TO FLORIDA? Where in Florida? (don't have to be specific, lol) We bought everything, but there's a sale at a Target close by to my house in Aug. and if they have the same things that we bought, we're going to buy those and return the ones we bought at full price. :D IF that makes any sense, lol. We're allowed to wear any jacket as long as it has my school's logo and whatever. :D Thanks for the review anyways!

killer bunnies: I see. :D I wish that could happen for MY birthday. D: Maybe they'll get together...who knows? :D Hahah, I'm glad you like it! Yup yup. :D You got it! :D Good job! And thanks for the review! ^^

TheAfterShockNLI: Yup. A very long time. Nope, you're right on the dot. :D Thanks for the review!

Laylaenchantix101: I think so. :D Oh, if your feeling _that _kind of "somethings gonna happen" then you should murder Jackson now. Of course, this story has a tight schedule, so that's not possible. ;D I actually think everyone will somewhat like him by the end of the story. Hopefully. Thanks for the review! ^^

CupCake: Aw, thanks! And yes, he is. SGT. FROG IS AWESOMEFROG! Oh my frog, my favorite is either Kululu (Keee kee kee!) or Giroro just because his crush/love on Natsumi is funny and adorable. I loved the episode when Kululu shot Natsumi and turned her into an older woman and Giroro was like, "AHH! THIS NATSUMI'S WAY TOO HOT! I HAVE TO COOL OFF!" Bwahaha. :D I'm only starting the second season right now. :3 I started the whole thing, though, July 20, so that's pretty good, actually. Thanks for the review! ^^

Ri: I guess that counts. :D Hahha, that's okay. Well, it IS weird, but it's soo funny...thanks! ^^

Athena: Wasn't it still so freakin' amazing! No, you don't have a problem. I need people to talk to, you know. :D And yes, you got a shout-out since you asked so very nicely! :D Hahah, that's very all right! Thank you for your review! ^^

Athena Again: Yup yup. Awesome job! ^^

Athena Again Again: (XD) I'm so glad you're enjoying the story! I miss mine a lot, though, because mine -most- are going to different schools, so this might be my most loneliest school year ever. D: Ahh. That makes sense. But I'm seriously happy you've thought about it since chapter 2! That makes me seriously proud to have all you guys as my readers. :D And thank you very much! :D I'm actually turning 14 in about two months. :) Aw, thank you very much! You're sweet. :) Thanks again!

Autumn: Thankyoouus! Fute...you are an honorable word-maker-upper of the Daphne-ish Language Club! OMG, I should totally make a forum called that...I SHALL DO THAT NOW!

Annabelle4.0: (Cool name, by the way) Thanks so much! They chose ones similar, lol. Thanks so much!

emowriter: Haha, I guess I shouldn't have put in that reference. :3 Thanks so much! Yeah, right? Lol. :D Thanks so much! Sariana FTW! Hahah, I think curlscat has writers block right now...or she's still busy -she just got back from a mission trip.

GrimmGirlLove: Haha, thank you very much! The QotW was the Challenge, but whatever. :D Oh, happy belated birthday then! ^^ Hahah, thanks for your awesomesauce review! ^^

yorkie999777000: Never watched it. Well, I tried, but then I kept forgetting what nights the episodes aired, so I don't know what's going on. :3

Again. Remember:

QotW. Braces. What two colors?

Check out yellow.r0se's work.

Daphne-ish Language Club.

Welp. See you guys Friday/Saturday!

~Lara


	11. Chapter 11: Invitation

**A/N. **Okay, before you start scolding me for breaking my promise, let me start off saying that I completely forgot that I would be going to Orlando on Friday. _Completely_. And that packing, driving, and playing Super Mario Bros. is really time-consuming. I was going to update yesterday, but I didn't have anything ready at all (this whole top A/N. is being written on Sunday, actually) since I got back from Orlando at 9:00 or so. Sorry about that.

I think from now on, all of you should disregard my "I'm going to update…" notes, because a pattern I'm beginning to see is "updates with a promise, forgets to update next time" and you guys don't deserve that. :3

QotD winners: The majority of you said purple and green: **Curlscat, killer bunnies, PenguinLoverGurl, Guest, and Laylaenchantix **(sorry if I forgot anybody!). ^^' Actually, I was on FaceBook and my best friend who I haven't talked to in like a week after her birthday (I think I put a P.S. for last chapter saying happy birthday to her…) was online, so I asked her. She said purple and blue (I didn't mention to her that I already got it, though), but not alternated (which is what I first had). And I got purple on the bottom row and blue on the top…it was nice. ^^ When I go back in August, I'll get purple and green, don't worry. Or maybe blue and green...:3

People that won last QotD: Thank you for letting me know that you are all girls, lol. XD It makes me happy to know that you guys read A/Ns, too! ^^

Wow, is it +200 reviews already? Whhaat? Maraming salamat, po! Thank you so much everyone! ^^ The winner was **emowriter**, I think. Or **Poptart-reader**. :D But since I'm not that picky, both of you get to ask me any four questions for this story, and I guess they don't expire until the story is over. ^^ Congrats! Thanks so much again everybody! I think what makes me really happy is that I have readers from FTFT that are still with me, and continually reviewing, so –yaaay! ^^

Also, Anna's 'real' name _is_ Julianne, so that wasn't an error. Mr. Firay calls her by her full name because it's a formal thing, I guess. You don't hear him calling Daphne "Daph" or some weird nickname do you? ^^ But thanks for everyone's concern about that! ^^

One more thing before I go: **Girls are superior against guys in Super Mario Bros. Wii **(besides my brother)! My cousins (who I saw in Orlando) are only on World 2 and they've "died" about 50 times. My brother and I finished the whole game two Matttmases ago within two weeks. Actually, I beat all the worlds, but my brother (he was only_ five _then) finished the Bowser boss battle at the end all by himself. ^^

Enjoy!

* * *

_Chapter 11: Invite_

Today Mr. Firay let us use Home Ec as a free period since some supplies he needed hadn't arrived to the school on time. Halfway through the period, Wendell and I began checking our homework for next class.

A bright pink envelope suddenly appeared in my vision, blocking out the math paper I was looking at. Confused, I looked up to see Anna beaming at me. She pushed the envelope closer to my face. Afraid of having my eye cut open, I snatched it from her hands.

"What's this?" I asked, staring at my name drawn in curly letters. "An invitation?"

She nodded her head. "Yeah! Jackson and I are throwing a party this weekend. Kind of like… A welcome party! You should come! I'm inviting Wendell and Ariana too."

Wendell's head snapped up from beside me. "Really?"

"Of course! It's not like I'm not going to invite someone as handsome as you," she responded brightly. "I _really_ want you to come."

He grinned goofily. "I'll be there."

"Awesome! All the information you'll need is in the envelope, so you're all set!" Anna told us, handing Wendell a blue envelope. "Now where's Mr. Firay…"

"You're inviting him?" I asked in surprise.

She gave me a sly smile. "I can try, can't I?"

Wendell muttered something I didn't catch under his breath. I turned to give him an annoyed look. He didn't have to worry about Mr. Firay hitting on Anna.

"There he is! Mr. Firay, over here!"

My eyes snapped to the supply room door where Mr. Firay was emerging from, a plastic container of chicken salad in his hand. Suppressing a smile, I turned away from him. I'd woken up early in order to make him the salad. He'd been complaining how awful the school lunch had been lately, so I took matters into my own hands.

"Do you need something, Julianne?" he asked, coming over to us and stopping right in front of my desk.

Anna grinned at him. "Yep. How's your salad?"

He gave her a confused look. "Good… The chicken is dry though," he added, the corner's of his lips turning up into a smirk.

I flushed, biting my tongue so I wouldn't say anything.

"You're not a really good cook I take it?" Anna asked, teasingly.

He chuckled. "I guess I'm not all I say I am."

"Well, not all of us are can cook at a professional level and be cocky about it," I commented casually, sending him a quick smile.

"If they were cocky, it's justified."

I gave him a flat look. He smiled before returning his attention back to Anna. She simpered at him, holding an envelope behind her back.

"What are you up to this weekend?" she asked in a curious voice.

His smile dropped the tiniest bit. "Grading papers probably."

"That's not exciting at all!"

"That's what it's like being a teacher."

"You should come to my party," she suggested, now bringing out the envelope. "I'm planning on inviting Mr. Ross too."

Mr. Firay stared at the envelope for a minute, his face blank. Wendell snorted from beside me and I jammed my elbow into his side. Part of me wondered if this was Mr. Firay's first time being invited to a party… Maybe he was a loser in high school. A grin spread across my face. I'd definitely have to ask him about that.

"I don't think it'd be a good idea if I went," he finally responded, pushing the envelope back to her.

She pouted at him. "Daphne's going!"

Mr. Firay's gaze met mine for a second and we exchanged a brief surprised look. Anna stared at him, waiting for a response. He finally looked away from me, rearranging his expression into a nonchalant one.

"It doesn't matter if Ms. Grimm is going," he told her. "She's a student, so it's okay. I'm a teacher and I don't think the staff would appreciate me going to a student's party."

"Yeah," Wendell piped up. "They might think he's getting along to well with us. Who knows? Maybe even falling in love with one of us."

Mr. Firay sent him a warning look. "Sorry, Wendell, I'm not interested in guys."

Anna giggled, slapping Mr. Firay gently on the shoulder. "I'm sure no one would say anything."

He shook his head. "I have a lot of papers to grade anyway. I'm sure you'll have fun without me."

"No I won't."

I smiled dryly. She really didn't give up, did she? Mr. Firay looked like he was losing his patience. Our gazes met again and he sent me an apologetic look. I adverted my gaze immediately, biting my cheek to keep from smiling. He was upset because she kept hitting on him?

"We'll if you ever change your mind, feel free to show up!" Anna chirped, pushing the envelope towards his chest. "I'm going to go work on something for next period now."

He took the envelope off his chest, holding it tightly in his hand. "All right."

Anna smiled at him again before bounding off to the back of the classroom where she was working with Daniel again. Mr. Firay sighed, shaking his head. Wendell snickered from beside me.

"I guess high school girls have a thing for you," he commented.

"They've been interested in me since day one," Mr. Firay responded simply. "This one is no different."

Wendell pursed his lips. "Except for the fact that she's cuter than any other girl here."

I turned to Wendell. "Hey!"

"Sorry, Daphne. It's true."

"Wendell!"

Mr. Firay squatted, leaning towards me like he was looking at my paper. "Actually, you're the cutest girl here."

I blushed, leaning back in my seat. "You're biased."

He grinned. "Maybe. Come with me for a moment."

"Where to?" I asked curiously.

"The office called saying the supplies arrived, so I have to pick up the new beakers in the office. I could use your arms."

Wendell gave him a sour look. "She's working on the math paper with me."

"I've got you covered," he responded simply. "Julianne? Could you come here for a moment?"

Five seconds later Anna was by his side, looking excited. I glanced at Wendell, who looked just as excited as she did. They were both like exhilarated puppies. It was too bad while Wendell was looking at Anna; Anna was looking at my boyfriend. I lowered my gaze, biting on my lip. Feeling bad for Wendell was okay, but feeling bad for Anna was just weird. She was trying to go after my boyfriend, but I felt bad that Mr. Firay didn't show at least the tiniest bit of interest. Not that I wanted him to.

"You need something, Mr. Firay?" she asked politely.

"Ms. Grimm and I have to go pick up some boxes from the office. Could you help Wendell with a few problems on the worksheet? He's confused."

She nodded her head. "No problem! What do you need help with Wendell?"

"Uh, uh, problem, uh… seven."

Mr. Firay gestured with his head for me to follow him and I quickly pushed myself up from my desk, allowing Anna to sit down. She threw Mr. Firay a flirtatious smile as we exited the classroom. As soon as the door was shut he sighed, shaking his head.

"Tough to resists her charm?" I joked.

"Sorry, Daphne," he apologized seriously. "I wish I could tell her to stop but…"

I shook my head. "Nope, I understand. You've got to be the kind, handsome teacher that everyone loves."

He frowned. "If she tries anything more I'd be happy to throw that away so she'll stop hitting on me in front of you."

"Don't do that," I responded quickly, dropping my gaze in embarrassment. "I can handle it."

"Because you know I love you?"

My head snapped up and I looked around wildly. "Mr. Firay, not so loud!"

He chuckled, putting his hand on my head. "Don't worry, Daphne. I wouldn't say anything if I knew someone could hear us. Mr. Stevens' class is in the computer lab this period."

"Oh," I responded lamely feeling my face heat up. "Well you could warn me."

"But your reactions are cute."

I made a face at him. "You still say that?"

"It's true," he insisted. "I still remember every face you made every time I said I was going on a date. You might not believe me, but keeping up that charade was a lot harder than I expected."

I smiled at the memory. "Why did you even say that in the first place?"

"To see if you liked me or not," he told me, smirking. "You got jealous, so I figured you liked me at least a tiny bit."

"What about when I went out with Sage?"

He chuckled. "I won't lie. At first I thought you actually did like him more than a friend. Then he told me what you guys did and it made me realize you liked me more than I thought. I didn't realize Sage was your love doctor when it came to me."

I huffed at him. "Well maybe if you weren't so secretive."

Mr. Firay smiled mischievously. "But my mystery makes me more attractive, doesn't it?"

"You're attractive? That's new."

"Haha," he laughed mockingly, pushing open the door to the back stairwell. "We're at my favorite stair case."

I gave him a wary look. "Matt… We're in school."

"So?"

"Don't you think you're being too lax?"

"Nope," he responded, grabbing my elbow, and pulling me to a stop. "No one ever uses this stairwell besides me and a few video production kids, but they don't come up until next period, so we're alone."

I gave him an uncertain look. "But…"

His bright look dampened a little and he let go of my arm. "If you don't want to, we won't—"

Before he could finish I raised myself to my tiptoes and gave him a quick kiss. "Don't say that. I'd never _not_ want to kiss you. Unless you like, threw up or something."

He didn't respond, pulling me closer to him again. Our lips met and I wrapped my arms around him, feeling a thrill from kissing in such a public place. Contrary to Mr. Firay's thoughts, I liked the feeling of breaking the school rules. I was such a goody-goody when it came to class; it felt exciting to break at least one edict. When I tried to deepen our kiss, he pushed me back, shaking his head.

"I was just planning a quick kiss," he told me.

I blushed, removing my arms from around him. "Oh…"

"I'd let you, but we at least have to be a little bit careful," he told me, grabbing my hand in his. "Holding hands is okay though."

I stared at him for a moment, a frown crossing my face. "Hey, Matt?"

"Yeah?"

"We're a weird couple, aren't we?"

He cocked an eyebrow. "What makes you say that?"

"The fact that we have to hide in a stairwell to kiss."

"It comes with the troubles of us," he responded, squeezing my hand. "When you decided to fall in love with your teacher, you brought a lot of problems upon yourself."

I pursed my lips at him. "Hey, you played a large part too!"

He chuckled. "I probably played the biggest part… Since I'm so handsome."

"More like narcissistic."

"We may not be a perfect couple," he started, ignoring my comment, "but I love you and that's all that matters, right?"

I lowered my gaze, biting my lip to keep from smiling. "Sometimes you say really cheesy things."

"I'm just trying to ease your worries."

"I'm not worried!" I responded quickly. "I was just thinking… You're technically an adult. Don't you want… Er, don't you want to do adult stuff?"

Mr. Firay blanked for a moment. "Daphne, it's against school rules for a teacher to have a physical relationship—"

"That's not what I meant!"

He furrowed his eyebrows. "Then what?"

"What if you wanted to go out drinking or something?"

Realization crossed over his face and he chuckled. "I don't need to go to a bar to go drinking. I can go somewhere where you're allowed in too. But, I don't really like to drink so you don't need to worry about that."

"You don't drink?"

He shook his head. "I don't like the taste."

It made sense. I'd never seen any kind of alcohol in his fridge. "What about—"

"Daphne, there's no adult thing I want to do with you that we can't," he cut me off, shaking his head. "You're over thinking things."

"But—"

"No buts."

I squeezed his hand as tightly as I could. "Fine. We should probably go get those boxes… We've been here for a while."

Mr. Firay made a face. "I don't want to go back and teach."

"It's your job!"

"I'd rather spend my time with you."

My retorts fell short in my mouth. How could I scold him when he said that?

The door to the stairwell suddenly opened and we quickly dropped our hands, taking a small step away from each other. My heart jumped into my throat as I turned around to see who'd come through the door. Someone I didn't recognized sent Mr. Firay a polite greeting as he passed us, not sparing a second glance. My gaze met Mr. Firay's, and he laughed quietly.

"Let's go get those boxes," he said, gesturing for me to follow him with his head. "Then today after school you can help me unpack them."

"I'm going with Wendell to—"

"Or you get a zero on the worksheet you turned in."

I glared at the back of his head. "That's not fair!"

"You're right," he mused. "If I gave you a bad grade you'd probably fail my course… You need to start doing your homework."

"The only time I don't do my homework is when I go to your house, and you never let me do it," I snapped.

He smiled innocently at me. "You could always do extra credit."

"Which would be…?"

"Unpacking boxes."

I sighed. I could never win with him.

"Which is a good thing."

I stared at him in surprise. "Can you read my mind?"

He raised an eyebrow in amusement. "No… You said that out loud?"

"Oh," I responded, feeling embarrassed again.

I really _couldn't_ win.

* * *

**A/N. **^^ Hope you guys liked! Now, I'm going to reply to reviews again.

By the way, I'm replying to both anons and people with accounts at the bottom because it's faster for me. It –for some reason- gets tiring when I click on a link to PM the reviewer, reply, exit the tab, open a new tab, PM that reviewer, etc., and then I start to lose motivation to reply to reviews. Hope I answered your question, Curlscat, but, yes, I am also a lazy person. ^^

Review Replies:

Curlscat, Ch. 10: First part answered already. ^^ But yeah, 20 reviews is a lot…though, Ayns and Sky get like 50 per chapter (when NMW was still ongoing). :3 Hahah. Yeah, I get what you're saying, so maybe they had French names at first, then it changed to Jack and Jill (?) Thanks. ^^ He will…*foreshadowing moment* Oops. Thanks for the "Heywood", but the Anna is right. You've confused me. :3 She should. Oh well.

Curlscat, Ch. 9: That's all right. You were on a mission trip and on a FanFiction break (sort of), so it's fine. I know, right? ^^ Oh, and that's fine; you've told me you don't read crossovers before, so I wasn't expecting you to vote :D I think you know the answer, haha. Wait, Mustardseed wouldn't care if _she _was sick? Because you wrote "he". ^^ Thanks for the review, haha!

Puckabrina-FAXfan, Ch. 10: That's for a later chapter. ;) Thanks for the review!

Puckabrina-FAXfan, Ch. 9: ^^ Haha, I'm glad.

Killer bunnies, Ch. 10: Yes you do have awesomesauce bunny powers. :D Hahah, sorry for the creepiness, but I didn't make it up. I'm glad you're happy. Oooh, girl power! Good to know! :D Haha, I'm glad it makes sense. I couldn't exactly pick a name like "Jillianne" and have her nickname be "Jill" because that'd be a dead giveaway. I'm glad things are cleared up. :D Matt has his wise moments. Man, everyone loves purple and green, huh? Thanks for the review! ^^

PenguinLoverGurl, Ch. 10: That's all right. :D Mmmhmmm…(yummm) I'm going to have to check it out. Lol, I've heard of Joe's Crab Shack. :D Hahah, thanks so much for those suggestions! I'll keep them in mind in the future. Aw, you think so? That makes me seriously happy. :D

PenguinLoverGurl, Ch. 10 (again): I know you're a girl. :D Girl power ftw! Oops. Thanks for that. And remember I said BCC is really another story? I forgot to edit the name into "Mr. Firay". :D Sorry about that. Haha, it's very helpful. :3 DANGIT. You're so freaking far away. I'm like an hour from Naples, (which is probably the closest city to me) and that's still pretty far away from where you are. Oh well. Thanks for the review! ^^

Poptart-reader, Ch. 10: Haha, I'm so glad you love those scenes. Laughing uncontrollably is fun –seriously, I know from experience. I almost died once. X3 Thanks! And not many people do, lol. Congrats on being the 200th by the way!

Emowriter, Ch. 10: Thanks for the suggestion! Lol, she's really sweetsauce. ;D Thanks! Lol, I should've thought of that. Oh well, you may come to like her in the future. Maybe. YAAAY, thankyouthankyou. And congrats on being the 200th reviewer, along with Poptart-reader! ^^

Trikster Queen, Ch. 10: Thanks, and that's actually how it was supposed to be, lol. 'Anna' is a nickname, and her real name is "Julianne"…well, Jill, but you get what I'm saying. :D

, Ch. 10: Thanks for your review! ^^

Autumn the Great, Ch 10: Not really. At first I freaked out when my mom mentioned it, but then my best friend was like "Nah, man, it feels weird, but it doesn't hurt." And I didn't think about it hurting, and it didn't hurt. Either it really doesn't hurt or my orthodontist is gravy. Lol, interesting answer. Thanks for the suggestion! ^^ And yes, I did. :D Fute. Foot. Lol. Thanks so much! How does he remind you of your birthday, lol? OH, I see, haha. Thanks again! And I do like your name. I know two other people with the name same. …That's weird. It must be, lol, but it made me laugh! Ouch. Hope you feel better. Haha. :D Bwahaha. Thanks for the review!

Yorkie999777000, Ch. 10: Huh. I really should check it out then. Thanks for the review!

Guest, Ch. 10: Thanks for the review and suggestion! ^^

Ri, Ch. 10: :D I see. Oh, I've been on FanFiction for almost three years, and I also take a computer class, so I'm incredibly techy. XD Awesome –thanks for the info. I actually don't think there are any boys, lol. Thanks for the suggestions! OMG, Jackson as Artemis Fowl is pretty sweet. X3 Lol, Puck FTW. Thanks for the review!

Lovelylamb1999, Ch. 10: The end? Um, was that mentioned in the chapter? It's not the end, promise. We have about 40 more chapters to go. XD Thanks for your review!

Noodles21: Glad you liked it! ^^ Blue and yellow…you actually picked my school colors, bwaha. :D Thanks for the suggestion and review!

Laylaenchantix101: I got purple and blue, but next time. :D I got your PM, so if you want me to disregard the rest of your review, that's fine. :D But yes, you can dream about giving him a concussion. XD

Phew. My shoulder and fingers hurt, but I got the chapter up and finished the replies. :D

We're back to one-week-updates again (sorry) since school is practically around the corner, and I have to start getting ready and bla bla bla. But I think I've possibly found a day that I can maybe always update probably (note the words _possibly_, _maybe_, and _probably_ do not mean a straight answer/promise).

BCC Sunday! My friend on Wattpad acronyms her stories and whichever day of the week it rhymes with will be the day she updates (examp: HBA Friday, CC Sunday, MYJBP Monday –that last one I have no idea how she got Monday).

But again –_maybe_. It might be Sunday, or Saturday –just depends when I can get my hands on a computer without my dad scolding me. (Scratch that; too late, my mom just did :P)

This chapter looks long enough. See you _maybe_ on BCC Sunday!

~Lara


	12. Chapter 12: Drunk

**A/N. **Whoa. Did I really update on time?

Guys! I have school next week! WAAAHH! *runs around in circles* I'm so excited, but I'm dreading it, too! Ahghgfgh. Why does my school have to have science fair? Four months of research, experiementing, and making a pretty board. D: **QotW: What are you guys dreading the most for school ****besides homework****? **No one really likes homework and that's a universal thing for the most part.

**Winners of last QotW (if we had a QotW): It seems we didn't. Nevermind.**

Sorry for those Jackson lovers –I'm probably going to make you hate him for the next…ah, 10 chapters? 20 chapters? For a long time, but I promise he won't be a jerk permanently.

...and, I hope you're prepared for some laughs. :D When Jordan posted this chapter while it was still on-going…I shouldn't say. I'll shut up.

(Sorry if the spanish is wrong, by the way, I haven't learned that many words useful for this story yet.)

Thanks for all the wonderful wonderful wonderful reviews! ^^ It's really great talking to you all and reading what you think of this story.

Enjoy!

* * *

_Chapter 12: Drunk_

"Are you sure you want to go?"

"I don't want to be rude…"

"Not going won't be rude."

"But it's a welcoming party."

Mr. Firay gave me a flat look. "That doesn't mean you have to feel obliged to go."

I pursed my lips at him. "Do you not want me to go?"

"I want you to come over," he returned. "Friday nights are _our_ thing. Not new boy and new girl night."

"Are you jealous I'll be seeing Jackson?"

He snorted. "I don't get jealous."

A smile crossed my face. "So I guess Sage doesn't exist?"

"He's a different story, since you seem to be interested in older men."

My face flushed causing Mr. Firay to smirk. Unbuckling my seatbelt, I reached for the door, which he proceeded to lock. I gave him an impatient look. "Not this again, Matt."

He gave me an innocent look. "Not what?"

I unlocked the door again and quickly went for the handle.

_Click_.

I flipped the lock again.

_Click_.

"Stop it!"

"Promise me you won't be tempted to drink alcohol," he requested, leaning towards me in his seat. "I don't want you doing something you'll regret."

I turned my head to him, frowning. "I don't drink, Matt."

"I know you don't. But I _know __you_. If there's enough peer pressure, you'll give in."

"I would not!"

He cocked an eyebrow.

"Okay, fine, I would," I murmured, dropping my gaze. "But I promise I won't drink no matter what."

Mr. Firay still didn't look happy. "It's not that I don't trust you, Daphne."

"It's Jackson you don't trust?"

"How did you know?"

His sudden hard tone made me blink in surprise. "Um, what?"

He shut his eyes for a moment, shaking his head. "Nothing. Never mind."

"No, not never mind—"

"You'll be late if you don't go," he cut me off.

"Matt. We don't keep things from each other…"

He stared at me for a moment, finally letting out a small sigh. "Can you really be the one to say that, Daphne?"

My eyes widened. What was he talking about? "W-what do you mean?"

"I'm not angry," he started slowly.

"About what?"

"Why didn't you tell me Jackson knew about us?"

My heart skipped a beat. How did he know? Did Jackson know he knew? What would happen now? Was Jackson going to tell the school now? Would Mr. Firay get fired?

"Breathe, Daphne," a quiet voice murmured in my ear.

My head snapped to the side, my nose brushing against Mr. Firay's. I didn't even notice him get so close. Now regestering his words, I realized I'd been holding my breath. I let it out slowly. "How do you know?"

"Jackson came up to me after school a few days ago," he told me, his blue eyes still piercing into mine. "He told me he knew our secret."

I bit my lip. "I'm sorry, Matt. I didn't want to keep it from you, but Jackson threatened—"

"That he would tell the principal about _us_ if you told me you knew?" he interjected, air quoting the word "us".

"Er… Yeah. How did you know?"

An amused smile crossed his face. "He reminds me of me in a way. Blackmail is my special technique."

"Well what did he say to you?" I inquired.

"Almost the same thing he said to you. If I told you that I knew about your relationship, he'd tell the principal. I can guess he said the same thing to Sage today too, seeing as he came into my classroom after school and giggled for about five minutes before leaving without saying anything."

I furrowed my eyebrows in confusion. "Why would he threaten Sage?"

Mr. Firay scowled. "This is where the annoying part comes in… But it's also a little amusing," he added as an after thought.

"Which is?"

"Jackson's convinced you're dating Sage."

My mind blanked. "What?" I waited for an imaginary audience to start laughing hysterically.

He nodded. "Try to imagine my surprise when he came up to me threatening that if I didn't do what he said, he'd tell the principal on you and Sage."

"But he knows it's you and me!" I protested. "He said…" I trailed off, growing more confused. Jackson actually had never specifically said which teacher I was dating… "But at the wedding…"

"You were sitting next to me _and_ Sage."

I thought back to that day. "You kissed me."

"Maybe he has a bad memory?"

I rolled my eyes, but felt relieved nonetheless. So he didn't know Mr. Firay and I are dating. He knew Sage and I were dating— which we weren't. Which meant Jackson didn't have anything on me… Which meant I didn't have to worry about him anymore. A laugh left my lips and I slumped back into Mr. Firay's leather car seats.

"You good?" he asked, raising an eyebrow.

I nodded, grinning at him. "If Jackson doesn't know that we're dating, we don't have to break up."

"That's all you were thinking when you found out he thought he knew?"

"Yep."

He sighed, shaking his head. "Daphne…"

"What?" I asked in surprise. "Was that wrong? You said if someone found out we would have to break up—"

"Never mind," he interjected. "We don't have to worry about it anymore. Don't let Jackson walk all over you."

I hesitated for a moment. "But I don't want Sage getting fired…"

Mr. Firay narrowed his eyes. "Over Jackson threatening you?"

"He's not doing anything bad."

"But he can!"

"But he's not!"

"I'm not going to argue about this," he told me.

I stared back at him, feeling my eyes become glossy. "I don't want to fight about it either."

His gaze softened. "Then we won't. Let's drop it. Sage and I will think of something if anything comes up. He won't get fired, I promise."

"You better keep it," I told him as boldly as he could.

He smirked, leaning forwards to kiss me quickly. "I will. Now you can go to your party."

"Are you sure you don't want to go? Anna would be thrilled," I teased.

He flicked my nose. "Get out of my car."

"I'll call you when I'm ready to leave?"

He nodded. "I'll be ready anytime. Just sitting at home, watching a movie… By myself."

Rolling my eyes, I opened the car door now, stepping into the frigid January air. _Only about two more months of this_, I repeated in my head, drawing my jacket closer around me. After bidding Mr. Firay adieu once more, I head to the large building in front of me. I could already hear the bass of what I assumed to be gigantic speakers. Suddenly I was having second thought. Parties weren't exactly my thing.

"Daphne? Is that you?"

Twisting on my heel, I saw a dark figure approaching me. As an automatic reaction, I took a step back. As the silhouette grew closer, I realized it was actually two figures. Sage and Ariana.

"What are you waiting out here for? The party is inside," Sage said in a taunting tone. "Enjoying the moonlight?"

"What are you doing here?" I demanded, ignoring his jibe. "Don't tell me you're here for the party…"

He grinned. "Okay, I won't."

Ariana sighed. "_Lo siento_, Daphne. I tried to talk him out of it…"

"Did you two come together? After a date?" I guessed, smiling slyly.

Both of them shook their heads, making my smile drop like a fly. Ariana was the first to speak. "I just needed a ride."

I suppressed my smile this time. Ariana probably needed a ride just as much as I did— not at all. The only reason I told Mr. Firay I needed a ride was so we could spend more time together. Ariana was probably doing the same.

"You really shouldn't be here though, Sage," I told him.

He simpered back at me. "Can't be seen with your boyfriend here?"

"So Jackson did threaten you today?"

He snorted. "The brat had the audacity to talk down to me the entire time. I hope you're happy I went along with it. I even feigned being scared."

"You should probably go home though."

"If I go home, Ariana won't have a ride."

"Matt will bring her home."

"No. I can bring her home after."

I narrowed my eyes at him. "I don't want you to be fired, Sage!"

"Don't worry about it."

Ariana pursed his lips at him. "Maybe you should listen to Daphne…"

He pouted at her. "Not you too. Come on you guys! It's just a party. I'm twenty. It's not like I'm a thirty year old."

"Fine," I resigned with a sigh. "But if you get in trouble—"

"You'll say I told you so," he finished for me. "Now let's go party!"

The front door as flung open as soon as Sage pressed the doorbell. Immediately the sound of _Tik Tok_ filled my ears. Anna was standing in the entrance, grinning widely at us. "Glad you guys made it!" she shouted over the music.

"Wouldn't miss it!" Sage responded just as loudly.

She moved out of the way to allow us inside. Gaggles of people inside were dancing in what looked like the living room. Most of them held the telltale plastic, red cups. I also didn't recognize half of them.

"So how come Mr. Firay didn't come?"

For a split second I had a heart attack, thinking she was talking to me. But then I glanced behind me and realized Sage was smiling at her.

"He must have a lot of papers to correct," he guessed. "That's okay. He's not much of a partier anyway."

Anna grinned at him. "I take it you are?"

"Why yes, I am."

"Want to dance then?"

Before I had the chance to tell Sage not to, he replied with an affirmative answer before disappearing with her into the mass of tangled bodies. I glanced at Ariana, who looked a little put out.

"Steal him away from her when you get the chance," I ordered, taking her by surprise. "She's just leading him on."

"You don't know that—"

I cut her off. "No, I don't. But it seems that way. And if you like Sage, don't let Anna take her away."

Once again she stared at me in shock. "W-wait, _¡espere!_, how did you know?"

"We're best friends, Ariana," I replied, rolling my eyes. "And we're more alike than we think."

She scratched the back of her head. "It's just a tiny crush. Anyone would have it on him."

"That's what I told myself when I first started liking Matt," I told her with a small smile.

"But…"

I shrugged. "It's either you or Anna. Anyway, I'm off to find Wendell. He probably got ditched."

Ariana frowned at me for a moment before heading towards the dancing bodies. Smiling in satisfaction, I moved towards the door on the far side of the room. It led to the kitchen, where a bunch of people were refilling their drinks. My nose wrinkled in disgust at the odor of alcohol in the air. It was almost suffocating. After a quick look around I concluded Wendell wasn't in there. Continuing past the kitchen, I entered a hallway, following the sound of laughter. It led me to another family room, where couples were makin g out on couches.

The next room I checked was a bathroom, then another bathroom, and then what I assumed to be Anna's parents' bedroom. Annoyed, I took out my phone and speed-dialed Wendell. On the second ring, he picked up.

"Hello?"

"Wendell?" I responded, furrowing my eyebrows. That didn't sound like him…

"Nope. This is Jackson."

"Jackson?"

He chuckled on the other end. "That's what I said."

Frowning, I was tempted to shut the phone, but decided not to. "Where's Wendell?"

"Right here. Wendell, Daphne wants to talk to you…" There was the sound of the phone being passed from Jackson to Wendell and then heavy breathing.

"Wendell?" I tried again.

"Daphne," he responded, his voice slurred almost to incoherence. "Where are you?"

I made an annoyed face. He was drunk? "Where are you? You're drunk!"

"No I'm not!" he denied. "I'm in Jackson's room."

"Which is?"

"I don't know."

Resisting the urge to sigh, I pushed open the next door in the hallway. A closet.

"My room's on the second floor," Jackson told me. "Bring up a bottle of water from the fridge."

"For what?"

"Wendell. _Derr_."

Scowling, I snapped my phone shut. After maneuvering through the drunk persons in the kitchen, I managed to grab a bottle of water and escape the room without accident. It took a few moments to find the stairs, but when I did I climbed them quickly, heading for the door furthest from them. Hopefully this was Jackson's room. My intuition turned out to be correct when I opened the door and found Jackson and Wendell sitting on a large, king-sized bed.

"Daphne!" Wendell cried in excitement, pushing off the bed. "How'd you get here so fast? I swear I _just_ talked to you."

After handing him the bottle of water I smiled at him. "I learned how to teleport."

He looked at me in awe. "That's… amazing."

"I know. Did you drive here yourself?" I demanded. "You need to go home. You're drunk."

"I'm not!" he mumbled, fiddling with the cap of the water bottle. "'Sides, I have to wait for Anna to finish dancing with other boys so I can dance with her."

Jackson sighed heavily. "Forget about her, man. She's not worth it."

"No! I love her!"

"You don't love her, Wendell," I snapped. "Don't say such stupid things."

"But it's true!"

Jackson shook his head. "No it's not."

Wendell gave him an annoyed look. "Whatever. It's not like you guys know my feelings. We're going to get married."

"Oh yeah?"

"Yeah!"

"You need to go home," I told him, placing a hand on his shoulder. "I'll go find Sage and have him bring you home."

He tried to shrug me off him, but failed. "I don't want to leave!"

Jackson looked at me accusingly. "You brought your boyfriend here?"

It was awkward hearing him say that. "Well I didn't. Anna invited him…"

"She would," he responded hardly. "I'll have Anna bring Wendell home. It's the least she can do. Daphne, why don't you wait here for me? I'd like to talk to you for a second… Alone."

"Um, okay," I responded slowly. "About what?"

He stared pointedly at Wendell. I realized what he wanted to talk about immediately. Either he didn't want Wendell and Anna together as much as I didn't, or he was going to try and convince me they were cute together. Although that was better than him blackmailing me.

"Do you want anything to drink?" he asked as he led Wendell towards the exit. "I'm going to take a wild guess and say you don't drink alcohol. I can get you something else."

I nodded my head, impressed by his thoughtfulness. "That's be great… Thanks."

"No problem," he replied smoothly. "I'll be back in a few minutes."

True to his words, after a few minutes he returned with two drinks in his hand. He handed one to me and I took it, peering at the pink liquid curiously. "What is it?"

"Pink lemonade."

I took a sip cautiously. The sensation of it burned my throat and I nearly spit it out. "What's _in_ it?"

Jackson looked amused. "A little something I like to call seltzer."

_Oh. Duh_. Blushing at my mistake, I took another sip of the drink. It actually tasted good, if you ignored the burning feeling.

"So let's talk."

"Sure," I responded after taking another long sip of my drink. I hadn't realized how thirsty I was. "I don't think Wendell and Anna make a good couple."

Jackson nodded in agreement. "Neither do I."

"How do we keep them apart?"

"Have Anna go after a different guy. One she's more interested in."

A feeling of unease washed over me. "Mr. Firay?"

Jackson looked taken aback at my guess. "What?"

"What what?"

He narrowed his eyes. "Why would you think she's more interested in him?"

"She tries to flirt with him all the time…"

"Yeah, but he doesn't show any interest back. He knows his place as a teacher not to go after a student."

I dropped my gaze. He was wrong about that. I took another long drink from my lemonade. "You know, it's really hot in here," I told him.

"My parents like keeping the house warm," he explained. "I tell them that all the time."

I nodded my head in response, shrugging out of my jacket. "If you didn't mean Mr. Firay, who do you think is better for Anna?"

"Mr. Ross."

"Mr. Ross?" I repeated, furrowing my eyebrows. "Why him?"

"Because Anna likes attainable teachers. Since he's dating you right now, he obviously isn't opposed to dating students."

I bit my lip. "But he's dating me right now…"

"Maybe right now, but what about in the future?" Jackson questioned. "Do you want another drink?"

I gLanced down at my empty glass in surprise. "Oh. Sure."

He stood up from the bed and handed me his drink. I leaned forwards to take it and a wave of dizziness washed over me. I leaned back immediately, putting a hand to my head.

"Something wrong?"

"Just a dizzy spell," I responded, taking a drink from my new glass. "I must be tired…"

Jackson smirked at me. "Past your bed time?"

"No," I snapped. A new wave of warmth washed over me and I wiped a hand over my forehead, surprised to feel it sweaty. "Did it get hotter again?"

He cocked his head to the side. "No?"

"I need to go outside," I told him, breathing a little more heavily. "It's so hot in here…" Trying to cool myself off, I quickly downed the rest of the lemonade.

"It's not hot in here at all, Daphne."

Pushing myself up from the desk chair, I started for the door. My first step led into a stagger, and I sloshed the drink I was holding over my hand. Now more confused, my head spun as I gripped the edge of Jackson's bedroom door. What was wrong with me? It was only eight o'clock. I didn't usually go to bed until midnight!

"You're a lightweight, huh, Daphne? That's barely anything…"

My head snapped back to him, making the world spin again. For a second I watched it in amusement. But then I was brought back to reality when I dropped the empty glass in my hand. It landed on the floor hard and shattered. "What did you put in my drink?" I demanded.

"Nothing much," he responded simply. "Just a little something to make you more comfortable."

My mind blanked. He'd spiked my drink.

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**A/N. **Whhatt's Jackson going to do? Durr durr dunnn.

Review Replies:

Madiestitch: Aw, thanks! ^^

Killer bunnies: True dat. Oh my gosh, you sound just LIKE MY FAMILY! Except my mom likes Wii Fit. :D Actually, contrary to what I wrote in that chapter, my school has wicked awesome school lunches. Have you ever tried Bosco Sticks? Best. Lunch. Ever. The spaghetti used to be good, but now they're using this weird noodle brand –yuck. Haha, gay jokes _are _amazing. I should remember that, too. I'm glad you think it's hilarious! I mean, they had to have SOME similar qualities besides being fairies… Good luck. :D Aw, thanks! I love hugs! School starts on the 13th, but it's okay, I guess. :D

Guest: Yerp, yerp. I love Artemis Fowl, but I haven't gotten the last book yet. Oh that must've been hilarious. :D I was watching Disney channel with my younger siblings, and it was like a Disney 365 thing, and Eoin Colfer appeared on the screen and I was like, "NOOOOO WAAYY." And my siblings stared at me weirdly. Braces feel weird at first, but don't keep touching and prodding them –it'll make them hurt. Thanks!

Guest: Aw, thanks! That means a lot to me. ^^

Poptart-reader: ^^ You're very very welcome! Yerp, that's what it means. All right –just make sure you remember because _I _have bad memory. :D Thanks! I don't get people either. :D

GrimmGirlLove: Yeah, I can find the typos. ^^ There was no QotW, haha. :D Thanks for the review!

Yorkie999777000: ^^

Error 404: The author would like to thank you for your continued support. Your review has been replied to.

PenguinLoverGurl: I know, right? D: …Is it sad that I didn't know there was a Naples, Italy until you mentioned it? Haha, we'll see. If her shop is 11 hours and 1 minute away, I probably won't. :3 Thanks! It was sort of hard at the beginning, but it's all good now. Hahah, she's not an Everafter in this story. I started FTFT before the last SG book came out, so I had no idea she would be turning into an Everafter along with the rest of the Grimms. Bwhahaha. Girls rock. It probably does. Haha, sure.

Puckabrina-FAXfan: Oo, po. Tama ako means "I'm right!" ^^ So I take it you're Filipino also? Awesome. Oh, haha, I mean to have her name as "Jillianne" at the beginning of planning this out, but then I realized that;d be a dead giveaway. Thanks for the review!

Noodles21: Aw, thanks! ^^ Huh. What's their school called (I mean, if you're okay with telling me) Because, that'd be cool if it was YOUR school who played mine. X3

Emowriter: ^^ Congrats! Thanks. :D Musty…harr harr. Sage was in this chatper, so yaaay!

Laylaenchantix101: Bwahaha. :D Matt's pretty awesome. Thanks for the review!

Sorry to leave it on that cliff hanger, but I promise I'll have the chapter up on time again next week. :D

How was the chapter? Shocking? Funny? Terrible? What was your reaction when Daphne found out Jackson thought she was dating Sage? When you figured out Daphne's drink wasn't ordinary pink lemonade? Reviews are awesome. :D See you all on BCC Sunday!

~Lara


	13. Chapter 13: Reveal

**A/N. **As I'm writing this (it's Wednesday right now), I'm in quite of a shock.

Don't know if all of you know, but the Philippines has been flooded really bad. My dad says it's above sea level. So...that's really high. And I'm really really concerned for all of my Filipino FF Friends (FFFF) here -if you're safe or fairing well, reviewing saying uh...Bahay Cubo? :3 I think I spelled Cubo wrong...

Anyways, I'd also like some prayers to be given out to the Philippines, and to especially to my cousin, Kio. It sort of terrified me when I found out that he's all alone. The rest of his family (my aunt, uncle, his brother King, his sisters Katit, Kyndler, and Kia) went out to the grocery store, their house got flooded and Kio was still inside, so now he's stuck and can't get out. I'm not sure how long he's been in there, but he posts a lot of FaceBook updates so we know he's still...you know, alive. But my dad unhelpfully pointed out that his phone's battery might not last another month (that's how long this flood's been going) and now I'm really worried.

So prayers would be amazing -seriously. You're not only making my day, but everyone else's in the Philippines. :)

Also PenguinLoverGurl has asked for our prayers too -her dad was attacked overseas, so pray hard please. :)

On to a less tear-upper subject, (yeah, I'm sort of blinking back tears but that shouldn't surprise you -I'm a freaking cry baby) Whooa whooa whoopoa! 24 reviews last chapter! We got a bunch, didn't we? I thought I had forgotten to say the 222th reviewer, but they had indeed reviewed for last chapter. :3 Congrats **Laylaenchantix101!** Four free spoiler questions (FFSP) for you, my friend! ^^

This chapter is dedicated to a friend of mine that SG-ers who have been with this fandom for a LONG time should know. She was one of the first people I befriended when I started FF. She's changed my view of Moth, and has helped me see Moth/Mustardseed and Moth/Toby as a pairing. She's also quite the poet and has some freaking dedication to NaNoWriMo that I admire. Also, she likes muffins a lot. **Happy birthday, Estrangelo Edessa! You better bring me some virtual marshmallows when you get back from your camping trip.**

**Winners of the QotW: TheShiningShadow and killer bunnies! Congrats! ^^**

**New QotW: What's the craziest thing you've ever done?**

Poll: I have one on my profile where you guys vote what PJO/AG crossover story I should write. So far, the Leo-comes-to-FPL-and-Puck's-jealous is winning with 8 votes. Behind with three votes is Puck-is-a-son-of-Hermes-and-is-sent-to-CHB. In last place with two votes is Uncle-Jake-has-a-baby-with-a-godess-and-Sabrina-and-Daphne-have-to-bring him/her-to-FPL. So, yeah. Vote on my profile! ^^ But if you're anon, I'll count your votes here, too. ^^

Enjoy! I hope you guys like Drunk Daphne. ;D

* * *

_Chapter 13: Reveal_

My first instinct was to leave the room, but Jackson quickly figured out my motive and stepped in front of me, easily pushing me back towards the desk I'd been standing by. I stumbled over my feet, unaccustomed to the fuzzy feeling in my head and the shakiness of my feet. Before I knew it he had me pinned, his arms on either side of me, and his knee between my legs so I couldn't move.

"You said it was pink lemonade," I accused.

He smirked. "Yeah. _Mike's Hard Pink Lemonade_. Although, I'm a bit worried for you, Daphne. No one gets buzzed after two bottles."

I shook my head, trying to push him away from me. My hands grappled at his chest uselessly, too weak to have any affect on him. "Move."

"I'm pretty comfortable right here."

"Move."

"I just want to talk," he said coaxingly.

A wave of dizziness washed over me and I put my hands on Jackson's shoulder to steady myself. "About what?"

He smiled. "Your relationship with our teacher."

"It's none of your business!"

"Maybe not, but I know about it so I can use it to my advantage."

I set my jaw. "I thought you wanted to be a cop?"

He snorted. "You actually believed that cock and bull story? Well actually, I'm a pretty convincing actor."

"Then why…?"

Jackson gave me an impatient look. "There doesn't need to be a reason for everything, Daphne. I mean, there isn't a reason for me to keep my identity a secret from you, but it's funny how you're so clueless."

I blinked. "What are you talking about?"

"You call yourself a detective, but you're really dense, aren't you?"

How did he… "What…You're an Everafter?" If he had told me this on good terms, no doubt I'd be estatic, but I was far from it. I was confused, shocked, frustrated.

"Of course I'm an Everafter! How do you think I was able to live this long? I admit, I'm a little grateful to Wilhelm Grimm for getting me out of France along with my sister, but I wonder if he knew that his future generation was going to be this pathetic."

"Stop it," I mumbled angrily. "You…"

"Me," he said slowly as if talking to a toddler. "I wonder if you're smart enough to figure out who Anna and I are."

His jabs at me and my family were making me angry. "You don't know anything about me."

"Nor do you know anything about _me._"

"Why are you doing all of this?" I glared at him, trying to steady myself. "What have I done to you? Why are you messing with my life?"

He leered at me, ignoring everything I was saying. "I tried helping you, but you won't listen. You're dating our gym teacher, your best friend has a crush on my slut of a sister, who has a crush on him, your boyfriend _and _your boyfriend's best friend, who has a crush on you."

It took a few seconds for my impaired mind to catch up with what he just said. "Mr. Firay doesn't have a crush on me…"

"Yes he does," Jackson snorted. "That's why he got so offensive when I threatened to tell the school about you and Mr. Ross."

"Leave him out of it," I snapped, feeling hotter and hotter by the second. "He's got nothing to do with my relationship with Sage. Now move."

Jackson shook his head. "I'm not done."

"I am," I stated forcefully, pushing on his shoulder again, but this time more forcefully. "_Move_."

"Don't be like that."

"I mean it, Jackson."

Narrowing his eyes, he gave me a mocking expression. "I mean it too, Daphne."

He leaned closer to me, making me bend over backwards on the desk, the edge digging into my lower back painfully. My breath cut short at his proximity. A low chuckle left his lips.

"You look scared," he commented.

I turned my head away from him. "I'm not."

"Yes you are."

"What do you want?" I demanded.

He smiled viciously, moving a hand to my cheek and turning it so I faced him. "Look at me when you talk to me."

For a second I stared at him, my vision showing me two Jackson's instead of one. I blinked rapidly, feeling panic build up in me. I couldn't be that buzzed, I'd barely drank anything! But I couldn't even build the effort to push his hand away from my face. In a way it was soothing— the cool, clammy feeling of his palm against my hot, sweaty cheek.

"I told you not to tell anyone I knew about you and Mr. Ross before," he started in a quiet voice. "And what did you do? You told Mr. Firay, and it's pretty obvious you told Mr. Ross too."

"I didn't—"

Jackson pressed his free hand to my mouth, cutting off my reply. "I'll let it slide this time because I also told Mr. Firay not to tell you he knows and he told you too."

My eyes widened. How did Jackson know this? I tried to speak, but my voice was muffled and incoherent under his hand.

"Now here's the plan. It just so happens home ec is my worst subject and I hate running the lap in gym class…" He removed his hand, looking smug.

I knew where he was going with this before he even said it. "I won't," I declared flat out. "I'm not making them give you good grades. Are you really going to try something like that? You've been watching way too much T.V."

"I see you still have your snippy attitude. Maybe you could use more to drink."

"No!"

He smirked. "Okay. Then tell me I don't have to worry about failing home ec or gym class."

I glowered at him. "Okay, you won't. As long as you study, do your homework, and go to gym class."

"Not good enough," he responded in a singsong voice. He abruptly stepped away from me, feigning a yawn. "I just need a straight, affirmative answer, Daphne. Then you can leave."

Without a second's hesitation, I bolted for the door. However, my mind worked faster than my feet, so I ended up stumbling over them. Jackson wrapped an arm around me before I could protest, hauling me backwards. I groaned angrily, shutting my eyes as the world spun frantically. Suddenly my feet left the ground and my eyes shot open again in surprise as I landed on the floor roughly. Jackson kneeled down next to me, holding me down by the shoulders, his eyes twinkling in amusement.

"Sorry," he apologized. "I didn't mean to drop you on the floor."

"I'm not doing it," I murmured, staring up at him, ignoring the throbbing in the head. "I'm not blackmailing them."

He shook his head. "It wouldn't be blackmailing them. You don't have dirt on them. It's just asking for a favor."

"But you're blackmailing me!"

"You wouldn't want to see both of them get fired, would you?"

My head felt light and I turned it to the side, unable to bare the glare of the light on the ceiling. There was no way I could ask Mr. Firay to give him good grades— he'd probably hunt Jackson down and strangle him once he found out Jackson was blackmailing me. But…

"How am I supposed to make them do that if they can't know you know about us?" I inquired.

"Well obviously they know that I know about you and Mr. Ross," Jackson said in an annoyed voice. "I went right up to them. What they don't know is that I just want good grades. I said I'd tell the principal if they told you they knew I knew about you guys. It works out fine."

I resisted the urge to roll my eyes. "They'll definitely guess what's up."

He clicked his tongue. "All you need to do is say you'll try. I'm sure it will work out."

Could he be any stupider? "No, it won't. They'll probably just fail you for thinking you could get away with it."

"Shall I try a different way of persuade you?" he asked, bringing his head closer to mine. "I've got a few ideas… You might need more to drink though."

I struggled to sit up, but it was becoming more and more harder to push him away. "Leave me alone, Jackson!" I slurred, feeling out of breath now. It really was _hot_.

"Leave me alone!" he mimicked in a girly voice. "Come on. It's a party. Let's have some fun."

"No!"

"At least take off your jacket. You'll feel better," he cajoled.

My feelings of frustration and helplessness were making my eyes start to water. Or maybe it was the alcohol, I didn't know. I'd never consumed alcohol before. Jackson tried to pull my jacket off, but I kept my shoulder rigid. After a moment he finally managed to unzip the front.

"Come on," he wheedled, trying to tug it off my arms. "You look hot."

"Stop it, please," I begged him. "Look, I just want to…" I trailed off, momentarily forgetting what I wanted to say. "I just want to go home."

"So you'll fix my grades?" he pried.

"No!"

He shook his head. "Then you can stay for awhile longer."

"Get away from me!" I finally shouted, anger washing over me.

He finally managed to pull the jacket off me. Not that I was going to admit it, but having my jacket off actually did make me feel better. He stared at me for a moment, furrowing his eyebrows together. I gazed back at him, studying his face. He actually wasn't all that bad looking. In a way he reminded me off Mr. Firay. They both shared an unusual eye color.

"Falling for my good looks?" Jackson joked.

The phrase sent a jolt through me. _Don't go falling for my good looks already._ Mr. Firay had said almost the exact same thing to me when I first met him. My now boyfriend. And here I was, checking out the guy who was trying to blackmail me. The situation was so familiar. And I knew what was going to happen next.

Before I could protest, Jackson's lips were pressed to mine. Immediately I began to squirm, trying to turn my head away. He quickly moved his hands to my face, holding it in place. I clenched my teeth together, refusing to kiss him back. After a few more moments he pulled away.

"Aw, you break my heart," he joshed, putting a hand over his chest. "You could at least kiss back."

"I have a boyfriend," I shot back.

"I'll kiss you again if you don't agree to help me."

I glared at him, more frustrated than before. "You're such a pervert! I'm not helping you! How stupid are you? Once Matt and Sage realized what you're doing they'll figure out a way to get you expelled!"

"Not if I get them fired first. Pucker up."

As he brought his head closer to me again, I did the only thing I could think of— blow a raspberry in his face. Unfortunately that just made him grin before he kissed me again. Tears of exasperation sprung to my eyes. This was basically cheating on Mr. Firay.

Suddenly I heard the door burst open. Jackson pulled away from me abruptly, a scowl crossing his face. "Can't you see I'm…" he trailed off, staring at the door. It took me a moment to turn my head to look, but when I did, relief flooded through me. Sage was standing there, staring down at us with a blank expression.

"Your night and shining armor, huh?" Jackson commented in a bored tone.

"Sage, help me," I cried, striving to push myself off the ground. My head spun and I dropped back down, unable to find my balance.

Sage appeared over me momentarily, looking worried. "Daphne, what's wrong? What do you think you're doing?" His tone changed from worried to pissed off as he turned to Jackson.

Jackson held up his hands innocently. "Your girlfriend was coming on to me. She had too much to drink, I guess."

"Daphne wouldn't drink," Sage stated, narrowing his eyes.

"Doesn't she look buzzed to you?" Jackson questioned.

Sage's eyes shifted to me, his look softening. "Daphne, did you drink alcohol?"

Was he going to believe Jackson? That wasn't fair! He didn't even hear my side of the story! New moistness sprung to my eyes.

"What's wrong?" Sage demanded.

"Jackson spiked my drink. He said it was pink lemonade. I drank two…" I trailed off, realizing how slurred my voice sounded.

Sage's head turned so fast to Jackson I was surprised he didn't get whiplash. "You _what_?"

Jackson smiled innocently. "I just wanted her to loosen up."

"You brat," Sage growled, taking a step closer to him. "What were you planning on doing?"

"With your girlfriend? Not much. A little bit of this, a little bit of that."

Without warning Jackson stumbled away from me, stepping on my hand as he did so. A low groan of pain escaped my lips as I turned my head to glare at him. To my surprise, he was holding his face, blood dripping down his chin. I blinked, totally confused. Then Sage made another swing.

"Sage!" I cried in panic, trying to reach his leg. "Don't hit him!"

He froze, glancing down at me. A scowl of irritation crossed his face. "Damn it," he cursed, bending down to help me off the floor. "We're leaving."

"Daphne!" Jackson started, gaining my attention. He pointed to his nose. "I think I just gained the upper advantage even more. I can't wait to get my progress report."

"Screw you," I shot back, noticing how garbled it sounded. He just smirked.

Sage led me out of the room, keeping one arm around my waist to support me. I staggered, leaning into him heavily. Walking was proving to be a difficult task. When we made it to the stairs, I thought I was going to die.

"You shouldn't have punched him," I told Sage.

He glanced at me. "I can't understand a word you're saying. How much did you drink?"

I held up two fingers.

"_Five_?" Sage exclaimed in shock. "Daphne, I knew you were stupid, but that's taking it to a whole different level. You don't accept drinks at parties if you don't want to drink. Especially from people like Jackson. But to accept _five_?"

I shook my head. "No, two."

Sage now looked confused. "You only drank two things and you're this out of it… It's a good thing you didn't drink more. You might be dead."

It was nice he could joke in a situation like this. "I want to go home," I whispered wearily.

He nodded. "I'm going to call Matt now."

My eyes shot open. "No!"

"Yes, Daphne."

"No! No, no, no! I promised him I wouldn't drink."

"It wasn't your fault."

I attempted to pull away from Sage. "Let go. I'm not leaving."

"Yes you are," he responded forcefully, dragging me to the front door. "And you're sitting outside because you're sweating bullets."

"I forgot my jacket," I gasped in realization. "It has my phone!"

Sage pressed his lips together tightly. "Daphne, I can barely understand you…"

"Jacket!" I shouted at him, waving my arms frantically.

"Oh," he replied, nodding his head. "I'll get it for you."

Nodding, I dropped my arms back to my sides. However, they seemed to have a mind of their own. As Sage pulled out his phone to call Mr. Firay, my arms grew so light they started to rise. Panic filled me as they kept going higher and higher. Soon I had to stand to keep them from pulling me up.

"Sage!" I cried, now standing on my tiptoes. "Sage! My arms are floating away!"

He glanced at me, narrowing his eyes. "No they're not, Daphne. No, Matt. She's fine. Apparently her arms are floating away— Hey! Don't yell at me, it's not my fault."

"Sage! Help me!" I climbed a few stairs on the perch, trying to keep up with my truant arms. "Please!"

He chuckled, coming up to me and pulling my arms back down to their sides. "I've got her under control, Matt. I also took care of Jackson… Er, I'll let Daphne explain. Yeah, yeah. Fine. See you soon."

Now that my arms were fine at my side again, I was beginning to feel refreshed. I didn't have to deal with Jackson anymore, and with Sage here I felt ten times better. I hummed quietly to myself, grabbing Sage's hand into my own and swinging it. He gave me a curious look.

"Thanks for saving me," I told him, grinning widely at him.

"It's no problem," he responded slowly, obviously amused by my state. "Maybe you should sit down…"

I shook my head. "I want to dance. Can we go back in?"

Sage made a face. "No. You're staying out here."

"Then we'll dance out here," I responded, placing my hands on his hips. "Come on."

"You do know your arms are supposed to be around my neck right?" he questioned.

"We'll trade places."

He chuckled, putting his arms around my shoulders. "I think I might take you out drinking one day. If you're like this after two weak drinks, I'd love to see you completely wasted."

I ignored his statement, swaying to my own imaginary music, leaning my head against his chest. He felt so comfortable. "Why don't you drive me home?" I asked him.

He pulled me away from him for a moment, sending me a cheesy grin. "I'm not supposed to drive under the influence."

"You're drunk?"

"Not completely," he told me. "But enough that I'd get in trouble if I tried to drive."

"You're underage," I mumbled.

He rolled his eyes. "Barely. Anyway, you should be the one to talk."

"Shut up and dance," I demanded, wrapping my arms around him tighter.

He laughed, the sound reverberating through his chest. "Okay, Daphne. Matt will be here any second though."

"Mmm..."

Contrary to Sage's words, Mr. Firay didn't arrive for another fifteen minutes. By that time I was trying to convince Sage to play leapfrog with me. As soon as Sage's eyes landed on Mr. Firay, his shoulders sagged in relief.

"Thank god you're here," he sighed, immediately pushing me over. "She's such a handful."

Mr. Firay gave me a disappointed look. "I told you not to drink, Daphne."

I stared back at him, unable to stop the uncomfortable compressing feeling in my chest. The memories of early came rushing back to me and I fought the urge to cry. "You don't understand."

"What is she saying?" he asked, turning to Sage.

"She's not the one who drank," Sage clarified for me. "Jackson spiked her drink."

"He _what_?"

Sage smiled. "That was my reaction too!"

Mr. Firay pushed me aside, heading up the porch. "Where is he?"

"Wait!" I demanded, yanking on the back of his coat. "No!"

He looked back at me angrily. "What do you mean no? He obviously had something planned."

"I just want to go home," I told him, trying to keep my words coherent. "Please, Matt."

He stared at me for a moment, his eyes smoldering with anger, but then he sighed. "Fine."

"Don't worry. I punched him already," Sage offered.

Mr. Firay pursed his lips. "That wasn't a wise move, Sage. He's a student. You're a legal adult. That's assault."

Sage scratched the back of his head. "Yeah, but he was… Actually, I'll let Daphne tell you that…"

"Tell me what?"

I dropped my gaze. How could I tell him I kissed Jackson?

* * *

**A/N. **Holy frooog! Jackson kissed Daphne! Sage punched Jackson! Daphne played leap frog with Sage! Mr. Firay is pissed. Comments?

I had a Maximum Ride rant that I was going to put here, but then I realized that most of you would be upset, so I won't. If you'd like to hear it, I'll send you a copy (except for anons since I have no idea how I'd do that). :3 I haven't read the book, but I'd rate it a 2 out of 5. Well, 3 out of 5 because I'm generous.

**Review Replies: **

Cupcake: Hahha, well, here's your chapter! ^^ Thanks for the review!

Emowriter: Hahah, I'm glad you thought it was funny! Sabrina and Puck won't be here for a while, but they'll be mentioned along with Nathaniel.

PenguinLoverGurl: Of course.

Autumn: Daphne doesn't usually go to parties, so I guess it's just beginner's mistake. ^^ I'm okay with gym…except for physical exams. BLARGH. They are perfecto! ^^ Thanks!

Athena: Here's your update! ^^

TheShiningShadow: Hahah, I hope you find Drunk Daphne funny! You're right about that. Hhaha, I'm glad you think it's funny! Freshmen, huh? I'll be in HS next year. ^^ Oh, that's a good reason! Hhaha, thanks for the review!

Error 404: Thank you for your continued support. Your review has been replied to.

Guest: All right. TJ Maxx is coolios. Bwahaha. I know right? :D Jackson and Red? I thought it was Red and Tom, but like a long distance relationship thing? Oh yeah. I think Willow is going out with…Colin? Colin, though. :3 You're totally right! ^^ Thanks for the review and good job!

Noodles21: Man, I wish we had met. D:

Killer bunnies: Totally agree with you. Bwaha, yep! I know what kind of sis you're talking about. I can imagine it, too! You're right…Very stupid indeed. :D thanks!

CupCake: Hahah, I'm almost 14, but I'm going into 8th grade. Good luck in HS! Haha,thanks for the review!

Trikster Queen: I know right?

Crazylame1: got that right. :D You are correcto!

Yorkie999777000: I've hurried. I actually was planning to update tomorrow, but I realized that was too cruel. :D

As White As Snow: Hahah, thanks for the review!

Guest: Here's the next one! ^^

WatsonLover: Aw, thank you very much! Well, you found out in this chapter. Well, it depends, of course. ^^ Like in JL's story, Daphne's dad was in a car crash and died, but Henry's alive here. And I leave details like…well, I'm not entirely sure, haha. But this was an interesting question to answer –I'm glad you were curious. ^^

Puckabrina-FAXfan: Hahha, thanks for the review!

Yellow.r0se: I know right?! Well, you found out. :D Yes, you do get to ask me still. It was, wasn't it? :3 Aw, thanks! Oops –I shall have a fix at that. Thanks! Haha, I'm glad you liked it. He has much planned…I think. Hahha. Thanks again!

GrimmGirlLove: Bwahah, all right! Thanks! Science is going to blargh this year. Last year I had an awesome teacher, but now I have a weird one. Thanks for the review!

Gill: Ooh. Percy Jackson? ;D

Laylaenchantix101: Bwhaha, :D Thanks so much!

Gill: You made the week, yay! ^^ I hope you enjoyed the chapter!

Sorry for any errors in my replies. Replying to 24 was…a LOT of work. Sigh…I'm going to sleep after this. :3

Anyvey, see you guys on BCC Sunday next week!...And I hope you guys enjoy your summer -I go back tomorrow, so my time's up. :)

Wish me luck! Oh, and one of my friends is petitioning to our school. Eighth graders go to Bush Gardens at the end of the year, but we want to go to Universal in Orlando and AHHH! She says it's almost all the way approved! I'M SOO HAPPYEE. Ah, sorry for that random rainbow. I'm just so giddy.

~Lara


	14. Chapter 14: Forgetful

**A/N. **For those who didn't read the chapter titled "Isaac Apologizes for the Hurricane", I know. I am totally olive. You may go ahead and throw an axe at my face. (Mabel says, "Wree, wree!")

My excuse is basically homework. But also science fair. Those should be good enough excuses. Just kidding! (if you remember my earlier A/Ns. of FTFT, I panicked a lot about Science Fair, so that hasn't changed a bit). I've also found that I really enjoy hanging out with my family, so I'm been straying away from the computer (though my phone is an entirely different story). I also would've posted this on Monday since it looked like there was _not _a hurricane at all, but there were so many reviews to reply to. I'm sorry. :3

Thank you so much for your prayers to the Philippines and to PenguinLoverGurl. I'm ecstatic to say that the flood has stopped, and that my cousin Kio is safe. :,) His house is waterlogged, but intact. I haven't heard from PenguinLoverGurl, but I'm sure she's doing great as well! ^^ Thank you so much everyone! The support is amazing!

Oh, uhh…also, about the hurricane, **Hurricane Isaac,…**it seemed to be a no-show, haha! I mean, I woke up Monday morning expecting to hear thundering and rain, but it was so clear and sunny that I started laughing. I'm not sure if Isaac came during the night or completely missed my community, but I'm glad. :D Thanks for the support everyone!

Whoop whoop! Almost 300 reviews! *does a jig* It's the best feeling in the world to get reviews saying that people enjoy what you write. It feels like there are butterflies in your stomach and you just want to dance and shout. :3

Oh, and sorry guys -no DxM fluff in this chapter. :3 Next one, promise.

I like making my A/Ns long since I only really talk to you guys weekly, so I'm going to write about my first week back to school (you can skip if you'd like).

First _day_wasn't as amazing as I had expected. My lunch table was full so I had to sit on the other bench with this other clique (they're like the sporty group) and I didn't really talk to anyone ('sides from Alejandra but she doesn't count). So. Sad.

But then OOMMGGG. Tuesday -Science was amazeballs. I totally felt like I was Sabrina/Daphne Grimm! We did 'labs' that day and had to figure out the "Great Murder Mystery" and it was so magical. Granny Relda would've been so proud of meee! My group was the first to figure out everything and AHH. I want to do another one. I felt so smart.

The week was actually pretty good after that. This year the classes actually mixed up (much to my friend, Casey's complaints, bwaha. That's what she gets for leaving the school) and all of my friends are in my class this year! (Besides my friend Olivia, but that's okay since we have news crew, English, math, and science together) So, I'm happy, and I think this last year at my school will be really successful. And this weekend, I went to my friend Jennifer's birthday party (she's a rich girl ;D) and holy puck -her house is more amazing than I remember! I almost got lost upstairs, and she has like two stairs on each side leading up...think of an upside down Y. The arch is on two different sides -one is from the piano room, the other from the kitchen- then they meet up and lead upwards...so cool. She even has a balcony. And her room is the size of my living room...she has two of them. DX It's so amazing. Her house is like a castle compared to mine and -yeah. I'll stop blabbing.

Oh, but oh my gosh! I love my new English teacher! You know how she described extra credit? Do you? "Doing extra credit is gravy! I mean, you get a letter grade, how gravtastical is that-" **Gravy. Gravtastical. She's Daphne in disguise.**

**QotW Winner:** PenguinLoverGurl. Oh my gosh, that's brilliant! XD I once read a story where these two boys fooled their substitute teacher and pretended that they were mute and only communicated by clapping their hands and doing those handshake things. When one of them said bye to her at the end of class, she almost had a heart attack. It was sooo funny!

**Laylaenchantix** is so generous and the first person to ever do this in any of my stories: She says I can give the four spoiler questions away for anyone. So, I'll do this: The first four people to review asking me if they can have one of the spoiler questions will get it. Sound good?

Enjoy!

* * *

_Chapter 14: Forgetful_

"This is _not_ my house."

Mr. Firay sighed, gently pushing me into his apartment. "Daphne, did you seriously not realize I didn't park in your driveway?"

I whipped my head around to glare at him, but nearly lost my balance. He quickly grabbed my shoulders and I fell into him, wrapping my arms around his waist. "Can you dance like Sage?"

"I can't understand you, Daphne," he responded flatly.

I put my hands on his hips, trying to make him move. "Dance."

He shook his head, pushing me away. "No. You're going to bed, and I'm calling your parents to let you know you're staying here tonight."

"Don't let them know I drank!"

"I won't," he told me, a frown adorning his face. "Only because you aren't the one responsible."

Nodding my head, I moved back from him. "It's all Jackson's fault."

"It's partially your fault too."

"How so?" I demanded, narrowing my eyes. "I didn't want alcohol!"

Mr. Firay rolled his eyes. "The number one rule at a party is to never accept a drink from someone else. Everyone knows that, except you, apparently."

"Jackson said it was pink lemonade…"

"And you're just that naïve to believe him," he snapped.

I stared at him for a moment, taken aback by his snippiness. Was he angry with me? Because I didn't know a simple party rule? Didn't it occur to him that I didn't _go_ to parties like that? It was like he thought it was my entire fault! I didn't want him to be angry because of my ignorance. I bit my lip, trying to keep my emotions in control. It didn't work. My eyes started to water and I shook my hair in front of my face to hide it. Why did I have to be such a moron?

Soon I felt a pair of arms wrap around me and my face was pressed into his chest. "I'm sorry, Daphne," he apologized. "I'm just irritated… You're always getting in trouble because of your innocence."

"I'm sorry," I sniffed, gripping the back of his shirt. "I can't help it…"

"I know you can't," he told me with a deep chuckle. "But that's one of the things I love about you. It sort of gives me a challenge."

"I'm still sorry," I sighed. "I didn't mean to steal your car."

He pushed me away, raising an eyebrow. "You didn't steal my car."

"What did I do then?" I inquired, furrowing my eyebrows.

"Accepted a spiked drink from Jackson…"

"Who's Jackson?"

Mr. Firay smirked. "You know what? Maybe you should get drunk more often. You have such a short attention span. It almost seems like you slip in and out of soberness."

"Slobber? Do you have a dog?"

"Let's get you to bed," he suggested, putting a hand on my shoulder.

I stared up at him, a sly smile slipping onto my face. "We're sleeping together?"

"We usually do…?"

I blinked. "I thought I was a virgin."

He looked caught off guard. He opened his mouth to reply, but abruptly shut it, looking both amused and discomfited. "Not like that, Daphne. Just regular sleeping."

"Are _you _a virgin?" I asked curiously. I'd never thought about that before. If Mr. Firay had been a player in high school, he probably wasn't.

He sent me an uncomfortable look. "Do you want to borrow some of my clothes to sleep in?"

I pursed my lips at him. "I want you to answer my question."

"Why?"

"Because I want to know!"

"You won't even remember tomorrow," he told me, pushing on my shoulder again. "Now move."

I shook my head stubbornly. "I'm not going anywhere unless you tell me."

He shrugged. Then knocked me off my feet, throwing me off his shoulder. "I can easily carry you."

"Put me down!" I cried, slapping his back. "Stop it!"

"No."

"I'm serious. I'm going to puke."

He patted my back. "You'll clean it up in the morning."

I struggled to liberate myself, but soon I was falling. My back met something soft and squishy, and I found myself staring up at Mr. Firay. He smirked, ruffling my hair. "Goodnight."

I grabbed his hand before he could pull away. "No goodnight kiss?"

He raised an eyebrow. "How old are you? Five?"

"If you want me to be," I tried to say seductively.

He snorted. "No, I don't want you to be my daughter."

"You have a daughter?" I gasped, my eyes widening. "Why didn't you tell me?"

Shaking his head, he laughed through his nose. "No, I don't. Go to bed. I'll give you your… _Goodnight kiss_," he said, leaning down towards me.

I took his unbalanced position to my advantage and kicked his legs. As I planned, he lost his footing and fell. Before he could crush me he caught himself on the bed, either hand next to my head. An annoyed look crossed his face. I smiled up at him, wrapping my arms around his neck.

"What are you doing?" he demanded.

Instead of replying, I used his neck as leverage and pulled myself up to kiss him. After a split-second he pulled away, making a face. "You taste like alcohol," he told me.

"That's okay," I murmured, pulling his face back to mine. "Pretend it's a good taste."

He smiled through the kiss, allowing me to deepen it. I bit on his lip, and he opened his mouth—probably to protest— but I swiftly changed our kiss to a French one. For a second I thought he was going to push me away, but he surprised me by fighting for dominance. Which he won without difficulty. After a few moments we broke apart to breathe.

"Daphne," he started when I reached for his shirt. "You should go to bed."

I ignored him, unsnapping the first few clasps. He didn't push my hands away, but he did give me a disapproving look. When I finally managed to unfasten his whole shirt, I admired his perfectly toned abdomen and chest. Being in a gang really had its advantages.

I kissed him again, slipping my arms around to his back. After a few seconds of hesitation he kissed me back, leaning down onto me again. This time he didn't try to hover above me, instead he crushed me into the bed with his weight. I didn't complain, too into the kiss to worry about his mass. When we broke apart to breathe again he slowly kissed down my jaw, going to my neck. Meanwhile, his hand worked at the buttons on _my_ shirt. Butterflies erupted in my stomach. And then a soft, almost inaudible sound escaped my lips.

Mr. Firay immediately snapped back, pushing himself off me. My face flamed. He stared at me for a moment, realization crossing his face. He clenched his jaw. "Damn it."

"What?"

"You're _drunk_."

"And?"

"I'm not going to take advantage of you while you're drunk," he stated, shaking his head. "Go to bed."

I pouted at him. "But—"

He cut me off. "No."

"If you leave I'll just follow you out of the room."

"Do I have to tie you to this bed?"

"Kinky."

He didn't look amused. "Goodnight, Daphne." With that, he pushed himself off the bed, muttering under his breath.

I frowned after him. What was his problem? My stomach twisted uncomfortably. Then I threw up.

(O; (O; (O; (O; (O; (O; (O; (O; (O; (O; (O; (O; KINKY ;O) ;O) ;O) ;O) ;O) ;O) ;O) ;O) ;O) ;O) ;O) ;O)

A raucous noise was filling my ears. Groaning, I placed my hands over my ears. What _was_ it? Surely Anna's party music choice wouldn't this awful! Wait. Anna's party? My eyes shot open and I sat up, gasping in surprise. When I realized I wasn't in Jackson's room, I relaxed. Then started to panic again. Where was I? Looking down, I found my shirt unbuttoned and crinkled. My jaw dropped. What had _happened_ last night? Turning my head to the right, my eyes landed on a picture of Mr. Firay. Immediately I realized I was in his bed.

My motions caught up to me and my head began to pound violently. Suppressing another groan I fell back onto the bed, waiting for the pain to pass. A strange scent wafted through the air— almost like citrus cleaner and… vomit? I made a face, pushing myself back up again. I needed to find Mr. Firay. And call my parents. They were probably having a heart attack.

After a few unsteady steps on my feet my head started to hammer again. Rubbing my forehead, I pushed open the door, heading towards the living room. Mr. Firay was sprawled out on the couch, dead asleep. A smile slipped onto my face and I moved closer, kneeling by his side. He was too cute when he was asleep. But that also brought a new question to my mind. Why hadn't he slept next to me?

I tried to remember what happened last night. I went to Jackson's party, found Wendell drunk, talked to Jackson about Anna, and… My eyes widened. Jackson had spiked my drink and kissed me! How could I have forgotten about that? My gaze went back to Mr. Firay. Did he know? Maybe him sleeping on the couch had something to do with it. Did that mean he was angry? What was I going to do? How could I face him after that?

"Do you enjoy watching me sleep?"

I nearly jumped out of my skin. Mr. Firay stared at me, an amused smile playing across his face.

"Why are you sleeping on the couch?" I blurted.

His smile faltered. "You don't remember? Yesterday you—"

"I'm so sorry!" I apologized, clenching my hands into tight fists. "I was drunk!"

"I know."

"I didn't know what I was doing!"

"I know."

"I promise you I didn't want to do it!"

His eyebrows furrowed. "At all?"

"No!" I cried, appalled he would think I would. "I would never!"

"Oh," he responded simply. His tone of voice didn't make me feel any better.

Tears started to form at my eyes. "I'm really sorry, Matt. I was incredibly stupid. I can't believe myself."

"You don't need to cry over it," he stated. "It wasn't like it was awful."

"Awful? It was horrible! I was terrified!"

He set his jaw. "Nothing would have happened you didn't want…"

"Yes it would have," I retorted.

"No it wouldn't have."

"Yes it would have!"

He narrowed his eyes at me. "Do you really think that?"

I nodded my head vigorously. "Yes!"

"Well maybe you shouldn't have started it."

My mind blanked. He thought I started it? Did he really believe that? My heart clenched painfully as new tears formed in my eyes. "I… Why would I do that?"

"Since you were drunk."

"I wouldn't cheat on you!" I exclaimed, my voice breaking. "Don't you think I feel bad enough for drinking even though I promised you I wouldn't? And then Jackson kisses me against my will and tries to take off my clothing, and here you are, saying _I_ started it and that it wouldn't go any further than I wanted it to? It went further than I wanted it to when he gave me the alcohol!"

Now it was Mr. Firay's turn to blank. "What are you talking about?"

A quiet sob escaped my lips. "I'm sorry…"

"What are you talking about?" he repeated forcefully, sitting up on the couch. "Come here, stop crying." He pulled me onto his lap, wrapping his arms around me tightly. "Shh."

"Isn't that why you're angry? Because Jackson kissed me?"

"He _kissed _you?"

"Why are you surprised?" I questioned, turning my head to face him.

He clenched his jaw, ignoring my question. "He tried to take advantage of you yesterday?"

"Wait, you didn't know?"

"No. You didn't say anything."

"Then what were you talking about?"

He sighed. "Nothing, never mind."

"No. Not _never mind_. Tell me."

"You just tried to… seduce me, in your own way, last night. I thought you were trying to imply that I would have taken advantage of you because you were drunk."

I opened my mouth in shock. "I did what?" My cheeks flushed. "Wait… What did… How much… Oh my god."

He chuckled. "Calm down. We didn't do anything."

"Oh," I breathed in relief. "But about the you taking advantage of me thing, I know you wouldn't."

"Which is why I was confused," he told me. "But I think I need to pay a visit to Jackson."

"No!"

Mr. Firay gave me an impatient look. "Daphne."

"You can't say anything to him," I ordered forcefully. "Don't mention it."

"He kissed you against your will."

"If you say something he'll know we're going out!"

"Daphne."

"Matt."

We held each other's gazes for a few moments. I puffed out my chest, staring at him determinedly. After a few moments he exhaled slowly. "You're an idiot."

I furrowed my eyebrows. That wasn't what I was expecting.

"I won't say anything," he promised, "but if he ever tries anything, don't put _us_ over _you_."

"But I want to."

He smirked. "Promise me, Daphne."

"I promise," I muttered reluctantly.

"While we're at it, promise me you won't ever strip dance for me again too. No offense, but you're not too great at it."

My eyes nearly bulged of their sockets. "_What_?"

"And Milkshake really isn't the best song choice."

I stared at him in horror. "What else did I do?"

"Who knows?"

"Tell me!"

"It's a secret."

"Just tell me!"

He cocked his head to the side. "I don't remember."

"Mr. Firay!"

He raised an eyebrow. "You mean Matt?"

"Matt," I corrected flatly. "Now tell me!"

He shook his head, gently pushing me off his lap. "What do you want for breakfast? And button up your shirt. It's indecent, Daphne."

My face raised a few more shades of red and I hurriedly snapped the buttons on my shirt back up. Mr. Firay chuckled as he stood up from the couch, leaving his shirt open. Probably to show off that perfectly chiseled chest… Removing my eyes from his chest I looked up to see him smiling knowingly at me.

"What?" I demanded.

"You really liked my chest last night too."

"I was drunk!"

"I guess your true feelings come out when you're drunk," he responded with a laugh. "Or should I say your kinky side?"

I clapped my hands over my ears; unsure of how much embarrassment I could take. Why couldn't he just tell me what happened? I hated thinking about what I _could have_ done.

"So what do you want to eat, Daphne?"

I scowled at him. "You can't just drop it like that!"

"Yes I can," he responded smugly.

"Whatever! At least I don't… At least I don't say your name every minute!"

He cocked an eyebrow. "What?"

"You say Daphne every other word! Let's talk, _Daphne_. What do you want to do, _Daphne_? Did you do your homework, _Daphne_? You're stupid, _Daphne_. You overuse it!"

He rolled his eyes. "I don't know what you're talking about, Daphne."

"You just did it!"

"Did what, Daphne?"

"Now you're doing it on purpose!"

"What, Daphne?"

"Stop it!"

He gave me a curious look. "You know last night when I asked you to stop you didn't. You were… Feisty." A grin broke out across his face.

"You...you're such a jerk!"

"I know."

* * *

**A/N.** Bwahaha, see what I did there? I threw you off track and -yeah. Sorry I didn't warn you, for those who might've been uncomfortable with the kissing. It's not going to become a normal thing of BCC, don't worry. :)

**QotW** (or month, should I say): I need a **title for my** **science fair project (I did a QotW for this last year). Something creative, clever, pun-ish, or all three. Suggestions? **

Oops. Almost forgot to give the topic. Basically, I'm making a roller coaster for marbles and measuring the kinetic energy and potential energy of the marbles as they go up, down, and loop. Sounds smartical, you know? ;D

Winner gets...umm...well, whatever they want, I guess. :) Just not a one-shot, please. :3

Guys, you have to check out yorkie999777000's reviews to BCC –they're hilarious! XD And most are really strange –in a good way. :D Really, go look at them!

Review Replies: (OH MY GOSH, THERE WAS +30 REVIEWS!)

Killer bunnies: I've lived in FL all my life, so I'm accustomed to them. And the cancelation of school today gave me more time to finish my projects. Yep, we're really fine, haha. Maybe Isaac read my A/N. chapter and decided he didn't want to bother me. ;D You're welcome, and they are. Definitely.

Guest: Sorry, meant Jackson. :D

Laylaenchantix101: Lol. Here's the chapter. And yes I dooo. Oh, I've heard of Toyko Mew Mew. On a scale of 1-5, how good is it?

PenguinLoverGurl: I'm alive, don't worry. :D And haha, Isaac heard your hopes –didn't even leave a scratch. ;D Wow…that's awesome! ^^ A Digital Life Song isn't a real song. My computer teacher wants us to know about digital life (what we do on our computers, iphones, ipads, etc.; cyber life, I guess) so she assigned us a project to make a song about it. :D Ooooh. Drunk Sage. I almost forgot about him…"Sage is a horrible drunk," says Mr. Firay. That's okay! It was a nice review!

Archer Princess: Holy long review. Haha, that's okay. OH, I guess that means I have emowriter to thank, haha! Bwhaha, ironic, isn't it? Jackson is a *WIZARD SWEAR*. Well you know, Daphne is stupid in this story. ;D Jk. Yess. Jackson has other motives…involving the L word! Funny that you mentioned Bryant. His and Anna's are multicolored. Almost. Well, you should know that Jackson _is _evil… I feel honored that you would put one of my OCs with _Kerdy. _(I LOVE HIM) Bwahah. Drunks are awesome. :D Smolder eyes…reminds me of that Tangled scene where Eugene was shining his eyes at Rapunzel….before she knocked him out anwyays… Nope. Not at all. I haven't, but I seriously do not like what I read on Wiki. MR is good…ish. I mean, it's an okay read, but it's nothing compared to SG, PJO, AF, SoUE, and HP. Hahah…it does sound Daphneish! All right. :D Thanks for taking the time to review –seriously. I love you for it.

Guest: Hi hi! That's okay. XD Aw, thanks! And thank you for keeping my cousin and PLG's dad in your thoughts. …Wow, really? That's nutty! ;D

The Shining Shadow: Aw, thank you very much. I'm sure PLG appreciates it, too. Goooo Sage! ^^ Lol, that sounds hilarious! Thank you!

PenguinLoverGurl: Lol, nicee. Not that your dad is injured, but the iPod touch is wicked gravy.

Trikster Queen: Thanks. :D

PenguinLoverGurl: …Isn't he YOUR dad? Or did you mean my cousin? ;D No, he's –my cousin- in college. Starting college. Exactly. :D Maraming salamat!

Error404: I'm starting to think you're not really an error. ;D The author would like to thank you for your continued support. Your review has been replied to. (TIMES INFINITY)

PenguinLoverGurl: (You know you have a bunch of reviews, right?) OH, okay. :D …Tom and Tina _are _siblings, haha- twins, actually…I think. o.0? Tina is dating Colin, by the way.

PenguinLoverGurl: Lol. Bwaahahahahaha! That's hilarious! I'm laughing so hard…*keels over*

PenguinLoverGurl: Awesomeness. :D Exactly. You're welcome! You actually have a BUNCH of support from the reviewers. :D Leapfrog ftw. How can he assassinate him if-nribwewinong. Not saying anything. Of course he's going to be pissed. ;P Lol. I seriously want to go to Orlando! She says thanks for being the only one to say so. Lol, you're so right. Lololol…

Emowriter: Hahaha, I'm glad you loved it! Thanks!

As White As Snow: Hahah, you're the first person to comment with that: Knitting with Wendell, Musical chairs with Anna. Probably going to have to make a chapter about clog dancing with Jackson. ;D Thanks!

Yellow.r0se: Naawww, you're awesomesaucetastical, you know that? Hahah, evil Jackson. Sage is loveable –it's _impossible _to not love him. Like cookies and milk. You can hate cookies, you can hate milk, but together they are unstoppable! Oh, did I say that? 0.o Oh well –they are Jack and Jill, though. Lol, I'm so glad you liked drunk Daphne! Sage is awesome. They should change Kung Fu Panda to Kung Fu Sage: Legend of Awesomeness! Yaay! It was "What is the craziest thing you've ever done?" But that's okay. :D Hahah, you're welcome. :D Thanks for the review!

Killer bunnies: We're awesome now. :D Thanks! Gooo Jackson haterz! :D Hahah. "RAPE RAPE!" Family: 0.o Sage is my favorite character ever, you know? ;D Not a lot, yes. :D How little? That's absolutely crazy! :D Hahha, I love scaring people too, but I hate being scared (hypocrite ;D). Thanks!

Katie: Hahah, Jackson and Anna are Jack and Jill, but I love your imagination! :D Thanks!

Autumn: Creepy little mouth! ;D Sorry, inside joke! Thanks! And 7th grade was absolutely AMAZING for me –seriously. I think you're gonna love it. Job…drive…shall check. :D Hahaha, funny Daphne! Ooooh! I had P.E. at second period last year! :D Thanks!

BroadwayMaterial178(Gill): Really? Hahah, that's awesome! Sage must be pretty hot, lolol! Thanks! Sorry for the long wait –school is a lot harder than last year. :D Thanks! Lol, nice panda dance!

Laylaenchantiz101: You're so fudging sweet! Seriously –you're generous. :D Admirable act right there, yo! Thanks! Here's the update! ^^

Yorkie999777000: Hahah. …BWAHAAHAHAHAHAHAH.

RockstarGurl4444: :O _All of your friends_? That's terrible! D: I'm praying for you, too! Thank you so much! And I see your point. Thanks!

Puckabrina-Faxfan: Evil Jackson. :D Bahay Cubo!

CupCake: He does. Dun dun dun!

GrimmGirlLove: Hahah, you're a dedicated Jackson fan. I love that! But WHAT? 11 days?! Holy gravy! Baaii!

**HOLY LONG**. Phew. Now that that's out of the way, see you all BCC Sunday!

~Lara


	15. Chapter 15: Distraction

**A/N. **I have a valid excuse for not updating Sunday! I updated Wednesday or so last week. So, techinally, this is a day before the one week update (but yes, I did break my promise on updating on Sunday).

You know, I actually thought I wasn't going to update today (Tuesday)! I had a lot of homework, but I felt really bad, so I didn't do some of the homework. It's not due until like, the last week of September, though, so it's all good -I'll do it tomorrow. :) But yeah, I hope you guys enjoy this late update anyways!

I don't think I'm going to do BCC Sundays anymore (but most likely, because I'm saying this, in contradiction, I will update Sunday...?). I think I'm just going to do BCC _Some_days. But for sure, they will be on the weekend! :)

I just realized we haven't seen any of the Grimms for a while, so maybe they'll show up next chapter. Hopefully. You never know.

I still have a few weeks before I turn in my Science Fair forms, so again: _If anyone has a suggestion for a title_(killer bunnies: I REALLY loved the Marble Mobile one!), don't be afraid to review on it. I probably won't use that exact one (since that'd sort of be plagiarism unless the person who made that up let me), but something similar maybe? :)

One more thing:** Who else heard about the new character art for Heroes of Olympus?** AHH! I saw the pictures -Nemesis is my new favorite. They even drew Thalia, guys! (I don't have the new Demigod Diaries yet, so I didn't know her picture came in the book :3) But she's not as I imagined. Her eyes are pretty, but she reminds me of those creepy dolls...sort of Chucky-ish. But it really is a good drawing -I like RR's illustrator. Though, I wish that some of his other drawings (COUGHPERCYCOUGH) were remade or something.

By the way, what you're about to read is not a dream. ;D I wonder if anyone remembers that chapter from FTFT…the one where Daphne's daydreaming about Mustardseed kissing her? If you wanna try and find it, the chapter's called "Dream On".

Enjoy!

* * *

Chapter 15: Distraction

"Daphne, could you go into the supply room and get me some cream?"

I looked up at Mr. Firay from the desk I was currently slumped on. He gave me one of his you-can't-say-no smiles. After heaving a sigh, I pushed myself up from my chair and trudged towards the supply room. Normally I wouldn't have a problem doing anything for him, but now I couldn't say no.

_That black-mailing devil_, I thought, pushing open the supply room door. _Using telling my parents I got drunk as leverage for making me his personal slave_… With too much force, I wrenched open the door, nearly knocking everything from the shelves and causing a clamor.

"Forget to turn off your super-strength, Daphne?"

Ignoring his jibe, I leaned over the fridge, looking for his creamers. Immediately my gaze met a container that read _cow heart_. Next to that was his lunch. I nearly gagged. How could he keep those things in such proximity of each other? My eyes located the creamers now, and I quickly grabbed them, closing the fridge swiftly. I didn't want to know what else was in there.

"Here," I said, placing the creamers on his desk.

He gestured with his finger for me to come closer to him. After a moment, I obeyed, taking a few toddler steps toward him. Without any warning, he wrapped his arms around my waist, dragging me the rest of the way towards him, and sitting me on his lap. My face flamed, but I didn't move out of his grasp.

"You don't have to sit so far away," he murmured in my ear.

"What if someone comes in?"

He chuckled, his breath caressing my neck. "Don't worry. The door's locked."

I glanced at him uneasily. "I don't think—"

"Then don't," he interjected, bringing his face closer to mine. "It's early, no one is here yet."

"Teachers are," I breathed, doing my best not to move. Even the slightest movement of my lips would cause them to touch his.

His eyes gleamed mischievously. "If one comes in, I'll knock them out. I haven't punched anyone in a long time. I'm getting antsy…"

"Mr. Firay!" I cried, my eyes widening. How could he say that after everything that had happened? He wanted to fight?

He cut off my thoughts when he gently pressed his lips to mine, a smile forming on his. "Call me Matt," he instructed me when he pulled away. "Remember?"

"I…" He brushed his lips against mine again, causing me to trail off. I couldn't think straight when we kissed. "Matt…"

"Can I ask you a favor?" he inquired, running his lips over my ear.

I jerked, surprised by the sudden contact. He smirked, cocking an eyebrow at my reaction. To no one's surprise, red dusted across my face. This time I took the initiative, grasping his face firmly in my hands so he couldn't move away. Unfortunately he pressed his lips together tightly, not responding.

"What?" I finally asked, pursing my lips.

The corners of his lips quirked in amusement. "You look disappointed."

"I-I… I j-just—"

"Calm down, Daphne," he laughed, cutting me off. "It's fine. But will you do me this favor?"

Shrugging, I pushed a stray lock of my hair behind my ear. "It depends…"

"Promise me you'll tell me if Jackson threatens you."

I blanked. "What?"

He sighed, an irritated expression crossing his face. "You heard me, Daphne."

"No, I did, but…"

"But what?"

"I already promised you I'd tell you. Nothing's happened…" I paused, pulling my eyebrows together. Hadn't Jackson said something to me the other night?

Mr. Firay gave me a knowing look. "You promised me last time, and didn't tell me until _I_ told you I knew."

"But Jackson said—" I cut myself off, remembering Jackson's threat. An uncomfortable expression crossed my face. Was that something I needed to tell Mr. Firay? Technically Jackson wasn't threatening me, but it was close enough. Would Mr. Firay be really angry?

"What did Jackson say?"

"Nothing," I murmured, dropping my gaze. What if Mr. Firay did something stupid?

"Daphne," he started, moving his hands so he could hold my face. With an abrupt movement, he turned it up so I was looking him in the eye. "Tell me."

"There's nothing to say."

He cocked his head to the side. "Really? Are you sure?" With every word he brought his face closer to mine. "Positive?" Our lips barely brushed.

I slowly nodded my head. "Yes…"

"I don't believe you," he stated simply before crushing my lips with his.

Surprised be his sudden attack, I gasped, allowing him access into my mouth. He took no hesitation in using this to his advantage. When I tried to pull away he tightened his grasp on my head so I couldn't. My mind was growing fuzzy as I tried to focus on breathing through the kiss, which was a lot harder than I remembered. Soon my head was reeling from lack of oxygen. When he pulled away looking smug, I rested my hands on his shoulders, panting.

"I think you're out of shape, Daphne," he commented innocently, not even the slightest bit out of breath.

I stared at him like he was crazy, touching my lips. "That hurt!"

"Wanna do it again?"

I hesitated for a moment before shaking my head. "No!"

"You hesitated," he told me, smiling slyly. "I think you want to do it again."

"No!"

"Then tell me what Jackson said to you."

"He didn't say anything."

Mr. Firay shook his head. "Yes he did. I know you, Daphne."

"He didn't… Don't kiss me again!" I cried as he moved closer.

"Why not?"

"I can't think straight," I admitted, dropping my gaze.

His eyes twinkled in amusement. "I know. That's why I use it to my advantage. Now…" Painfully slowly, he pressed his lips to my jaw, moving down it until he reached my lips. "What did he say?"

"Nothing…"

"He said something," he murmured, never removing his lips. "Why won't you tell me?"

"I don't want you to be angry with him…"

Mr. Firay didn't reply, but locked lips with me again. Part of me was aware we were still in school, but the other part, the part of me that was irrational, didn't care at all. He kept the kiss short, pulling away and leaving me frowning.

"I'll be more angry with you if you don't tell me," he told me flatly. "You can't keep these kinds of things from me, Daphne. We're dating now. Let me help you, and stop acting like a child. You don't want me to be angry with him? He spiked your drink, Daphne! You have no idea what could have happened!"

My heart skipped a beat at his harsh words. "I'm not…"

"You are."

I stared at him, my eyes starting to moisten— an automatic reaction. "I'm sorry," I apologized in a whisper. "I'm sorry, Matt. I just don't know what I should do… I know I'm acting like a child. But you don't understand!"

"I do, Daphne."

I shook my head. "No you don't! If anything happens and you get fired, it will be my fault."

He stared at me blankly. "Is that what you're worried about?"

"I don't want to make you lose your job," I told him, shaking my head. "If Jackson finds out that I'm actually dating you and not Sage and he finds out I told you what he told me, he'll definitely get you fired."

"Daphne," Mr. Firay started, a groan escaping his lips. "You're worried about me getting _fired_?"

"Yes?"

"You're not worried the slightest bit about yourself?"

I blinked at him. "Should I be?"

He dropped his head back, laughing through his nose. "You're killing me."

"I can get off," I responded quickly, feeling a flush rise over my cheeks. Was I really that heavy? When I struggled to push myself off his lip, he pulled me back down.

"No, not that," he told me. "Forget about my job. You don't need to worry about that. What did Jackson say to you?"

"He told me to blackmail you and Sage into giving him good grades," I admitted, dropping my gaze. "I couldn't say no to him…"

"That's all?"

"You don't sound angry…"

He looked at my like I was crazy. "Why would I be angry?"

"He's trying to blackmail me into blackmailing you!"

"Well I'm angry that he's blackmailing you— that's my job— but that's pretty unoriginal of him… Good grades?" He snorted. "How cliché."

I furrowed my eyebrows at him. That was… unexpected.

"What did he say he was going to do if we didn't give him good grades?"

"Tell the principal about me and Sage."

"That's it? There's nothing to worry about then, silly," he told me, flicking my nose.

I winced. "Sage would get fired!"

"I say good riddance."

"Matt!"

He chuckled. "I'm kidding, Daphne. Don't worry about it. Sage and I will think of something. You just focus on doing your home ec homework."

"My home ec homework?" I repeated, confused.

"You're almost failing," he informed me.

"Wait, seriously?"

"Seriously."

I gaped at him. "How?"

"I think you're a little distracted in class," he guessed, a smirk slipping across his face. "You must have a hot teacher."

I opened my mouth to reply, but a sharp knock on the door cut me off. We exchanged startled glances, and he motioned for me to go into the supply closet. Without further ado, I jogged over to it, shutting the door securely behind me. My heart raced in my chest as I backed away from the door, deciding to hide behind the fridge in case someone poked their head into the room. It was a good thing Mr. Firay locked the door… I couldn't imagine anyone's expression if they walked in and saw us making out.

My hands went to my lips subconsciously. I didn't think I'd ever kissed him that many times before in such a short period. A smile crossed my face. Even if he was doing it to tempt me into telling him what Jackson said I still liked it.

The door to the supply closet opened, causing my breath to catch in my throat. I pushed myself further behind the fridge, my back now touching the wall. A few moments of silence passed by. Suddenly I felt a hand on my back. A startled scream left my lips and I jerked away from the wall, turning to see a hand waving at me. I stared at it in horror for a few moments until I recognized Mr. Firay's slim fingers and heard his snickering.

"You're so cute," he commented, coming into view from behind the other side of the refrigerator.

I scowled at him. "Don't do that!"

"I'll do what I want. It's my supply room," he responded complacently.

"Who came into the room?"

He frowned. "Your best friend."

"Wendell?"

"I meant that sarcastically," he told me, rolling his eyes. "It was Jackson, looking for the homework."

My eyes widened.

"What?" Mr. Firay asked, spinning around. He turned back to me a few moments later, looking mystified. "What's wrong?"

"There was _homework?_"

He let out a chuckle, ruffling my hair. "The write-up, remember?"

"I didn't do that," I muttered, ashamed. "I totally forgot. I tried to do it the other night, but it made no sense…"

"Then maybe you should stay after school for extra help?" he suggested. "It might be a good idea to do so today."

"Why?"

"Anna is staying too."

My heart sunk at his words. "She is?"

He raised an eyebrow. "Why do you look nervous?"

"I don't like the idea of her being alone with you," I admitted sheepishly. "She's so… You know?"

"Hence why I asked if you wanted to stay after too," he told me, flicking my nose again.

"Stop that!" I cried, swatting his hand away.

"Are you going to stay today, then?" he asked, ignoring me.

I glowered at him. "Yes."

"Good. Bring me a snack from the school store then."

"What do you want?"

He smirked. "I bet you know."

I adverted my gaze, remembering the first time he'd asked me to bring him a snack. Of course I'd gotten him his favorite chips. "Salt and vinegar?"

"You got it," he said with a smile. "Now you better head out of here. The buses will be arriving."

"Can't I stay here?"

"You could," he told me, nodding his head. "But I have hall duty today, so you'd be alone."

I sighed. "Okay."

"Don't forget your keys," he advised me. "There on my desk."

My hand went to my pocket, noticing my key chain was indeed gone. I smiled sheepishly at him. "Haha…"

"Haha," he mocked, pushing me towards the door. "You should put those somewhere safe unless you want your new car stolen."

"I don't—"

There was a loud crash from the classroom, cutting me off. Mr. Firay froze, pushing me to the side so I was out of view. He moved towards the door, a frown appearing on his face. Holding my breath, I once again pressed myself up against a wall. A few seconds later, someone barreled through the doorway, nearly knocking Mr. Firay off his feet. I stared at the familiar blonde, blinking my eyes in surprise.

"Hi Daphne!" he chirped, looking up at me, his arms still around my boyfriend. "I found your I.D outside the classroom door."

Mr. Firay shoved Sage away from him, giving me a disapproving look. "Maybe you should wear pants with bigger pockets?"

I blushed, snatching my identification card from Sage's outstretched hand. "It doesn't usually fall out."

"So what happened the other night after you went home drunk?" Sage questioned, slinging an arm around me. "Was your mom angry?"

"I stayed at Matt's."

"Oh?" he responded, raising an eyebrow. "My little Daphne is growing up! So did you know what you were doing or—"

"We didn't do anything," Mr. Firay told him, smacking the back of his head. "Stop being a pervert."

He grinned. "What? I wish I could have gone home with a girl. I was really close. But it's not really fun making out with a drunk girl."

"Daphne says you should pretend the alcohol tastes good."

"Mr. Firay!"

"Matt," he and Sage corrected simultaneously.

I glowered at him, sliding out from under his arm. "Whatever! Sage, who did you make out with? Please tell me if was Jackson's mom…"

Sage laughed. "Nope, but close."

"His dad?" Mr. Firay guessed.

"No," he responded, rolling his eyes. "Anna, of course."

I gasped. "Sage!"

"She's a student," Mr. Firay said, narrowing his eyes.

Sage gave him an annoyed look. "Yeah, and so is your girlfriend."

"Daphne is of age."

"You kissed her while she was under-aged," Sage accused.

"Because he thought it'd be like kissing the other Daphne!" I told Sage, throwing my hands in the air. "I warned you Sage! Why Anna?"

He gave me a confused look. "Why not? She likes me, and she's really pretty. She hasn't done anything bad, Daphne."

"But…"

He shook his head. "Never mind. Forget I said anything."

"Sage!"

"Forget it."

I opened my mouth to protest, but Mr. Firay put a hand on my shoulder. "Daphne, we shouldn't be the ones to talk. Sage is an adult. He can handle himself."

Sage nodded. "Yeah. He knows what's up."

I frowned. "I'm just worried…"

Sage grinned, wrapping his arms around me again and giving me a tight squeeze. "Don't. I'm fine."

"You say that," I muttered.

"I love you, Daphne," he said. "I'm quite flattered you're worried about me. But trust me, I really am fine."

Still unconvinced, I gave him a wary look. "Okay."

He nodded. "Good. Now Matt, want to give me some pointers on wooing high school girls?"

Mr. Firay smacked him again. "Don't be a smart ass."

* * *

**A/N.** I'm only replying to reviews that ask questions, or have things I feel I MUST comment on, so I'm sorry if I don't reply to every single review! D: Well, maybe I will, but it'll be short and mostly "Thanks!" probably…(Disregard whatever I say because I'm babbling, and try to look for your review :D)

Review Replies:

Emowriter: Hahha, thanks! Love them, too.

The Shining Shadow: Thanks! And I'm safe. Hahah, thanks!

CupCake: Yup, they are. :D Thanks!

Emowriter: Haha, I see. And umm, not sure yet –next chapter, maybe. Maybe then will we see that cute little scene where Matt finds out about Nathaniel. :D Thanks!

GrimmGirlLove: :D Thanks! Lol, I see! Forgive _me _for this so short reply.

BroadwayMaterial17: Thanks! Hmm, I'll sleep on it. :D Thanks for trying to help me, though!

PenguinLoverGurl: Hahah, I absolutely LOVE that. Most likely, if I can get your permission to use that, I will definitely use that as my project title. Thanks you, so very much for the info! Aw, you're so sweet to your dad! How's that free iPod by the way? ;D Hahah, thanks so much! I think that's what a kiny face would look like. HOLY PUCK. YOU'RE RIGHT! Hey, didn't you say your soccer coach looked like Puck? OR maybe that was someone else…hmmm… But if it was Daphne, she'd be a brunette, not a curly short-haired blonde with glasses. :/ Thanks!

RockstarGurl4444: Haha, that's okay! Thanks!

Lovelylamb1999: Thanks so very much! –especially for recommendingyor friend, mellobunny, to my stories.

Mellobunny: Thank yous so very very much! I must thank your good friend, lovelylamb1999 then!

Guest: Thank you very much!

Halle R: Hi! I appreciate that you're telling me all of this –and really, I found nothing wrong with the Error404 messages –they were fun! :D I don't know if it seemed like I was angry replying last time, but I assure you, I was teasing you. :D Your Error 404 messages were great! Though, you didn't have to give all that information about yourself on your review. The internet is a pretty crazy place, so remember to never give out your private information –especially your name and what you look like. There are so many scary people on the internet waiting to pounce on victims –I hope that doesn't happen to you! You're a really cool person! Just remember that in the future, don't give out your private information on the web, okay? I enjoyed your reviews, so thanks! It means so much to me! :D You're awesome!

Archer Princess: Hahah, thanks! And that was added so for those readers who…don't pick things up too quickly would figure it out. :D The world may never know. What's your favorite HPPP's video? His eyes are a mix of blue and green. They don't change, hahah. Allll righty!

Yellow.r0se: Hahah, I'm glad! Yup. Lol, true, but he can always dress up in a panda suit…OMGEE THAT'D BE SO CUTE! I'm glad you're glad you're caught up. Thanks! Ooh, muchas gracias for pointing that out. Thanks!

Puckabrina-FAXfan: Lol! Thanks!

Civicprincess(plusmanynumbersthatLaraistoo tiredtotype): Haha, thanks so much! Lol. OH, you're from the north! Coolio! I'm from Florida, so there's a lot of hurricanes here. That's okay! ^^ LOL. Sexy! The Sexy Marble Mobile! That might be shot down, though, since I go to a private school, ahha. :D But if I was the teacher, I'd accept that! Thanks!

Killer bunnies: I KNOW RIghT? D: But anyways, lol. True, true. LOL, so is Puck to Sabrina! Hahah, I'm beginning to think I have a short attention span –it used to be easy to listen in class, but now it's not. D: Thanks though! :D I'll think of some title for my sf project. Thanks!

Curlscat: OMDG (Oh my Demi-god) YAY! *virtual hug* That's all right –the short the better (saves me time, lol). DANG. But dA always sends a bunch of mail. -.-' I read the new chapter for AMaWoS, by the way! Seriously good.

Curlscat (again): (Ch.11) S'okay. Thanks for pointing out those errors. Thanks! Oh, okay. (Ch. 12) It's a requirement at my school. D: It's 50% of my first semester's grade, so it's pretty big, haha. Dunno. Hahah, true. Agh. Sorry. I don't really proofread these chapters (Jordan's story is set in Massachusetts, so…:3) I've been to New York once or twice, New Jersey maybe five, but yeah, I know what you mean. Stupid Daphne. :D

Curlscat (thrice): I know, right?! :D Maybe that's because she only had two cups of "lemonade"…? She's an idiot because it makes the story more interesting. :D

Curlscat (what's it called when you do something 4 times?): For the _most _part, I like spending time with them. It's when my siblings fight that I want to run away, or more appropriately, slap them silly (but I can't D:). Thanks for finding that. Lol, I like that line, too! KINKY! ;D I think I heard about that! :D Hahaha. Probably. JUST a little. Thanks for the reviewssss!

Cbstormx: Thanks so very much! And to answer your question: The nursery rhyme was said to originate in France during the time of King…King someone (haha)'s rule. I won't go into the details because it's a little creepy, but I just made up that they are from there, but they're nursery rhyme IS from France. Good question!

TheShiningShadow: Hahah, that's okay! Thanks! I thought it was funny, too! Lol, she's pretty gravy! Hahah! OMG! I can't wait to write about Drunk Sage. He really hasn't made an appearance yet, you know? ;D That's oaky. Hahah, yorkie is so funny!

Bubblegum: Sorry for the late update! Better late than never, right?

**AGH MY HANDS HURT AND I'M GOING TO WAKE UP TIRED FOR SCHOOL TOMORROW. **

**Oh well. You guys are worth it. **

Sorry we haven't had a real QotW for a while; the "Science Fair Title" one is still going (you don't have to, though), but here's a different one anyways:

**What movie would you go do this month: Hotel Transylvania or Finding Nemo 3D and why?**

I need answers becaue of an, uh, a special occasion. :)

~Lara

PS. Not sure when I'm updating. Hopefully Saturday Sunday. HOPEFULLY! :D I really wanna update for you guys!


	16. Chapter 16: News

**A/N. **...300?

Oh my crab! Yay! ^^ Ah, I love you guys so so so much! *gives virtual hugs* You guys are amazing. Gravy. Just...agh. I love you guys!

Congrats to **TheShiningShadow** for being the **300th reviewer**! Hoopla! XD Congrats! You get four spoiler questions you wanna ask me, or you can give them to someone else...Actually they don't have to be spoiler questions. You can ask me any question that pertains to BCC. That goes for everyone who hasn't used up their "spoiler" questions yet! \(^-^)/

Also, I'm deeply sorry for the late update. Yesterday was my last day being 13 (well, the day before yesterday), and I have a chapter test coming up...I just couldn't update. The chapter also wasn't ready (I wrote the first half this time! I sort of incorporated your idea, **Emowriter**...well, not really, but sort of...The idea of Matt not knowing, that is. :D) so yeah. Sorry again. But since my updates cannot be predicted at this time, I won't say when I update. Just because I don't want to give false hope, you know? :3

Good news: **I'm 14 now! Happy birthday to mee, I have some cookiees, if you want one just go and ask for some, because I'll share one -yippee!** Did you guys know my birthday is the same as Nial from One Direction? My friend pointed that out to me. :) Anyways. You guys know how absolutely obsessed I am with the number 14. 14, 14, 14, 14! And thirteen. And thirteen. Speaking of 14, did you know the FF section now has 1,414 stories?! Amaze balls! :) This section just keeps growing and growing...It's so beautiful. I know when I started, there were only 300 stories, and that was like three years ago! :D And yeah -I'll be quiet now. (I GOT A STICKER.)

One more thing before we go on with the chapter: I know Nathan was born only a while ago, but let's just pretend that fairies grow faster. Okay? :3

**Happy Crème Filled Donut Day!**

Enjoy!

* * *

**Chapter 16: News**

"Daa daw!"

Puck grinned at Nathan. "Yep, I'm your daa daw." He fed him a spoonful of apple sauce which Nathan lapped up happily.

I bounced Nathan on my lap lightly. "You're so good with your daddy, Nate!"

"Daa daw," he giggled. When Puck brought another spoonful close to him, Nathan grabbed it in his chubby hands. He got the applesauce all over his hands, then dropped the spoon.

Puck sighed. "Nathan."

Nathan licked his fist, opening and closing his mouth slowly. "Daa." He patted his stomach, wiping the sauce.

I laughed. "He's not hungry anymore. Want me to go clean him up?"

"Yeah, thanks, Marshmallow." He ruffled my hair, and then, just because he was Puck, he dumped some of the applesauce in my hair.

I looked at him flatly. "Thanks."

"It looks lovely." He sauntered out of the living room and into the kitchen. "His shirts are in the top drawer."

"Roger that." Sabrina was at work right now, so I was helping Puck with Nathan. It was a lot of fun. Fairy babies became toddlers a little faster than regular babies (he wasn't exactly a toddler, but he was getting there), so there weren't too many problems aside from crying and diapers and stuff. Oh and the occasional slobber.

Carrying Nathan into Puck and Sabrina's room, I gently put him in his crib while I searched for a shirt. Puck said his shirts were in the top drawer. Finding a green "Imma Momma's Boy" shirt, I walked back over to him and proceeded to help him out of his shirt. Nathan took after Puck -he liked being messy. I tried pulling the shirt over his head, but Nathan kept wriggling. "Nate, Nate. Your daddy says I have to change your shirt, shirt."

"Naw naw."

"Natey, Nate, Nate."

"Naw naw."

Man was he stubborn -a Sabrina trait. It was interesting how Nathan took after both his parents equally -that usually isn't the case with most kids. Finally I was able to take off his applesauce stained shirt.

Now came the really hard part. Taking off his shirt was one thing, but putting on a shirt was a different thing entirely.

"Naw naw naw!" he crawled around the bed as I tried to put the shirt on him.

"Nate! You can't walk around the house with no shirt on!"

"Naw naw naw naw!" he squealed when I grabbed him and tickled him. "N-n-nawww!"

Oh gosh, I love little kids. They're so adorable. I grinned at my nephew. So freaking cute. After Nathan finally calmed down and complied, I put on his shirt and carried him on my hip. He was reaching for my hair when I noticed I hadn't clean the applesauce of my head yet. Oh well. I'd do it when I put him down.

I walked out of the room when the doorbell rang. Puck peeked his head out of the kitchen and glanced at me. "Could you get that? Sabrina will kill me if I don't clean the dishes before she comes home."

"Scared of your wife?"

"She's a monster."

I laughed. "Yeah, I'll get the door."

"Daa daw!" Nathan said, opening and closing his hand at Puck.

"Hi, Nate!" Grinning, Puck planted a kiss on his chubby cheek. "Go with Auntie Daphne and see who's at the door, okay bud?"

"Daa."

I smiled. Puck was a great dad. He did have his immature moments, but he could really be Pucktastical. The way he coddled Nate was absolutely precious.

Walking over to the door, I adjusted Nathan on my hip before opening it. I blinked. "Matt?"

"Daphne?"

Matt looked at me with a slightly confused expression. I wouldn't admit it outloud, but the way the sun was angled in the back made him look angelic. I glanced at his attire. Jeans, a leather jacket, and a tight T-shirt. I probably stared for too long, and wasn't very discreet doing so. When I looked up, Matt had an amused expression on his face.

"Like what you see?"

"Uh, no."

"Mmhmm."

"So, what are you doing here?" I asked, trying to tone down the color to my face.

"Puck invited me over," he said, stepping through the door.

I sighed and rolled my eyes. I didn't even give him permission to come in -rude.

He took a glance at me and smirked again. "I love what you've done with your hair."

"My hair? Oh yeah, thanks."

He shot me a quick smile then glanced at Nathan. "So what are you doing here?"

"Helping Puck while Sabrina's at work."

"I see. And who's the kid?"

"Sun!" Nathan cried, pointing out the door. "Naw sun!"

Matt looked bewildered. "My son?"

"What? No!" My face heated up. "This is Puck and Sabrina's son, Nate -hey, shouldn't you know this?"

Matt had a blank expression on his face. "...Puck and Sabrina's son?"

"Yeah. Nate. He was born like months ago." I was exaggerating, but with how fast he had been aging, it seemed like months.

His face hardened. "Where's Puck?"

"In the kitchen..." I trailed off as he stomped away. Should I have told him earlier? It must've slipped my mind. I hurried after him while Nathan played with my hair. I came just in time to hear Matt chewing Puck out.

"...I knew Sabrina was pregnant, but why didn't you tell me that he was born already?!" Matt shouted at Puck.

"I didn't think it was important."

"This kid is my first nephew, damnit, don't you think this is important?!"

"Whoa, bro, chill! I thought Daphne was going to tell you since you two are dating and all!"

"We're not always together, 24/7, and there's no private place for her to tell me!"

I blushed. There was that one time...Daphne, stop thinking before you turn the shade of a tomato!

Matt continued, "And besides, you call me all the time for useless things, so why the hell didn't you call me this time?"

"Are you saying my son is useless?"

"Not at all. I'm saying you're useless. Gosh, you're the dad -you could at least inform all your family members."

"Hey, you didn't ask."

Matt looked like he was going to strangle his brother, so I cut in. "Matt, it's okay. You know that Puck isn't exactly the smartest person-"

"Hey!"

"-and besides, what's the problem? You've met your nephew now. Nate, Nate, say hi to your Uncle Matt." I handed Nathan over to Matt, who held him reluctantly. "See? He doesn't bite." Nate stuck his hand in his mouth, and took it out, wiping his hand on Matt's jacket. I smiled sheepishly. "Well. He slobbers but all babies do that."

Matt still looked angry.

"You can punch him later," I promised, oblivious to Puck's horrified expression ("Nice to see that you're on my side!"). "Right now, Nate needs your attention."

Matt's mouth was in a straight line. I hoped he wasn't too mad at Puck. It wasn't like Puck deliberately kept Nathan's birth a secret -he was just forgetful (though, I don't know how he could've forgotten to tell his own brother that his own son was born). And really, I hated when they fought. They were a good team when they were getting along. So, I hoped he wouldn't yell at Puck now.

And actually, I wanted to see Matt take care of Nate. It would probably be really cute.

The side of his lip curled upward slightly. "Okay."

"Yay!" I clapped my hands. "Your Uncle Matt is going to play with you Nate!"

"Naw naw." He planted his sticky his hands on my boyfriend's cheeks, and kissed him.

"Ugh," Matt peeled Nate away from him. "I don't think I'm going to enjoy this."

"What about earlier? You were mad at me for not telling you about your nephew and now you don't want him?" Puck teased.

"I'm glad I have a nephew. I just wish he wasn't a baby." Matt bounced Nate on his lap. Nathan giggled.

What Matt meant by that, I didn't know. But I shrugged. I was just happy that I had delayed Puck's death for a while longer.

**8] 8] 8] 8] 8] 8] 8] 8] 8] 8] 8] 8] 8] 8] 8] 8] NATE GO NAW NAW 8] 8] 8] 8] 8] 8] 8] 8] 8] 8] 8] 8] 8] 8] 8] 8]**

"Have you seen the flier for the Valentine's Day dance?" Ariana asked, setting her tray down next to me at our usual lunch table.

I glanced up at her, shaking my head. "I didn't even realize there was a Valentine's Day dance."

"Well there is," she told me, producing a piece of red paper from her back pocket. "Take a look."

Curiously I pulled the paper from her hand, taking in the fancy script on the top of the paper, stating that it was indeed a Valentine's Day dance. Interestingly enough, it happened to fall on the real Valentine's Day, which was on a Friday. _This_ Friday to be more precise. "When was this flier put up?"

"Like two weeks ago, Daphne. I can't believe you didn't notice."

Ariana looked behind me, grinning widely. Turning my head, I noticed Wendell raising an eyebrow at me. I shrugged back at him. "I've been preoccupied."

"Did you see what kind of dance it is?"

"No…"

"Take a look."

Doing as he said, I scanned the rest of the paper quickly, my eyes landing on _masquerade_. I stared at it for a moment. "Masquerade?"

"You know, where we all wear masks and no one can tell who anyone is?" Ariana pressed, leaning forwards in her seat in excitement. "The kind of dance where you can dance with you-know-who and not be caught?"

"I didn't know Lord Voldemort would be attending," Wendell laughed.

She rolled her eyes. "You know who I mean, Wendell."

I returned my attention to the flier, a small smile forming on my face. A masquerade was the perfect type of dance… But it was still pretty risky. In my mind there was no mask that could hide Mr. Firay. He was recognizable no matter what, even if his face was hidden completely.

"Well that's because you've been dating the man for a few months now and are head over heels for him," Ariana commented casually.

"Did I say that out loud?" I asked, staring at her.

She laughed. "Yep."

I dropped my gaze in embarrassment. "Whoops…"

"So do you want to go? We could go dress shopping," Ariana prodded, looking eager again. "Like on Wednesday."

"How much is it?"

"Thirty," Wendell told me, snatching the flier from my hands. "You should go."

"Are you going?"

He nodded, a grin crossing his face. "Yep. I'm planning on asking Anna to be my date."

My heart sunk in my chest a little. He looked so excited… I couldn't tell him she had a thing with Sage now.

"You sure you want to take her?" Ariana inquired, furrowing her eyebrows. "She probably already has a date…"

"What? You think?" He looked surprised by the idea. "I should ask her soon."

I lowered my gaze, deciding to focus on the bottle of water in front of me instead of their conversation.

"Are you going to ask anyone Ariana?"

"I, uh…" she trailed off and I glanced up at her, seeing an embarrassed expression crossing it.

Wendell crossed his arms. "Oh no. Not you too."

"What?" she snapped.

"Don't tell me you have a thing for your teacher as well."

"I-I don't have a thing!"

"You have a thing."

"I do not!"

I resisted the urge to smack my head repeatedly against the table. Anna had no idea what she was messing up. If she and Sage did start dating, she'd crush two people. I wouldn't be surprised if she crushed three people by ditching Sage right after either… I shook my head. It was no use thinking ill of Anna. She hadn't exactly done anything wrong. Jackson's words were just getting to me— and for all I knew, he could have been lying.

"Well if neither of you get dates, you could always go together!" I suggested as cheerfully as I could.

They gave me flat looks.

I sunk in my seat a little. "Just a thought…"

"You might think it's okay to show up alone, but it'd be awkward for me," Wendell told me. "Going with my best friend doesn't count."

I frowned at him. "What is that supposed to mean—"

"Yeah, Daphne. I don't want to show up alone or with Wendell. No offense," she added with a quick grin to him.

He shook his head. "None taken."

"Showing up alone isn't a big deal guys," I told him, pursing my lips. "Plenty of people show up alone to dances."

"Yeah. Losers," they chorused.

I rolled my eyes. "Guys."

Wendell slapped me on the back. "It's fine, Daphne. Don't worry about us. I can go with Anna, and if worse comes to worse, Ariana can go with Jackson."

"No!"

Ariana and Wendell blinked at me in surprise. "Have an issue?" Wendell questioned.

I flushed, shifting in my seat uncomfortable. "Uh…"

"Do you have a crush?" he teased, nudging me in the side.

"No!"

"You sound just like Ariana."

Ariana cocked an eyebrow. "Does Mr. Firay know about this?"

"Know about what?"

I jumped violently in my seat at the new voice appearing over me. One of these days I was going to have a heart attack.

"About Daphne's crush on you," Wendell continued, smirking.

"She has a crush on me?"

I turned my head up to see Jackson giving me a smug look. Immediately my face changed into a scowl. "No, I don't. Quite the opposite."

"Ooh, hostile."

My eyes narrowed as he took a seat on the other side of me. How could he act like the other night didn't happen? Did he expect me to be amiable to him?

"Don't be so rude, Daphne," Ariana scolded, kicking me under the table.

I winced. "Sorry…" But there was no way I'd be nice to him.

"So want to hear something interesting?" he started, making eye contact with Wendell, Ariana, and finally me. "I bet you'll all get a kick out of this. Especially you, Daphne— seeing as how it's about you-know-who."

An anxious feeling spread through my stomach. He couldn't be about to say what I thought he was going to say…

"My sister made out with Mr. Ross the night of the party."

Instantly Ariana and Wendell froze up. I bit my tongue to keep from groaning. Jackson waited patiently for everyone's reaction. It took me a second to realize that I should be freaking out about this because he thought I was dating Sage.

"Mr. Ross wouldn't do that," I stated firmly, rolling my eyes at Jackson. "I don't think the effects of alcohol haven't off yet. Or you got buzzed before school started."

Both Ariana and Wendell seemed to visibly relax. I relaxed as well; glad I could avoid crushing my best friends. Wendell giving up on Anna wouldn't be the worst thing in the world though. I didn't want to admit it, but she would probably crush him anyway. Ariana, on the other hand, was a different story. It seemed like Sage actually _had_ feelings for her. If Anna were out of the picture, they'd probably be dating soon. There was no way I'd let Jackson ruin that.

"I don't think you know Mr. Ross as well as you think you do."

"Trust me, I do."

Jackson rolled his eyes. "You're blinded by love."

Wendell and Ariana exchanged surprised expressions— probably because they didn't know Jackson thought Sage and I were dating. Wendell then switched his attention to me, looking almost flabbergasted. He had said the exact same thing as Jackson before a few months ago. I gave him a pleading look. He caught on quickly.

"Mr. Ross isn't like that," he spoke up, snorting. "He knows better than to hook up with a student."

"I wouldn't be so sure," Jackson responded complacently, his eyes flickering to me.

"Even if he was dating a student, he wouldn't cheat on her," Wendell continued, not backing down. "I know you think you're sister isn't a very good person, but I highly doubt she'd go after her teacher."

Jackson rolled his eyes. "You don't know her at all, Wendell."

"Mr. Ross isn't like that," Ariana spoke up now, looking uncomfortable. "He wouldn't…"

"Yeah, Jackson. You should put your head in a bucket of ice," I suggested, pushing myself up from the table. "Or maybe you just want to make your sister look worse than you so people will like you."

His glowered at me. "What—"

The bell rang overhead, cutting him off. I smiled sweetly. "Oops. Time to go." With that, I twisted on my heel, my heart pounding in my chest as escaped into the crowd leaving the cafeteria. That was the first time in my life where I'd directly insulted someone I didn't like. It gave me an excited feeling, a rush of adrenaline…

But it also made me feel like a horrible person.

Even if I was doing it to keep my friends from being devastated, and even if Jackson deserved it, it wasn't like me. My shoulders sagged and I dropped my head, letting out a long sigh.

Why did I have to be such a nice person?

**8|) 8|) 8|) 8|) 8|) 8|) 8|) 8|) MEANIE BEANIES [Jackson] WEAR BIKINIS (|8 (|8 (|8 (|8 (|8 (|8 (|8 (|8**

After school, I quickly jogged to the school store, picking up Mr. Firay's salt and vinegar chips and a Kit-Kat for myself. After paying I headed towards the science wing, keeping my eyes peeled out for Jackson. He hadn't showed up in biology after lunch, and I was feeling guilty for snapping at him earlier. Even if deserved it, I still wanted to apologize.

When I finally trekked into Mr. Firay's classroom, I was halfway through my Kit-Kat bar. Knowing him, he would have probably stolen it from me and forced me to eat the chips instead if I hadn't opened it. To my surprise, no one else was in the room. There was the beeping of the microwave from the supply closet, apprising me of his whereabouts. I sauntered over to the door, pausing only to toss his chips onto the desk. As I stepped into the room, I promptly flung my hand out to the side to stop him from scaring me. When my hand met air, I opened my eyes again, confused.

He was standing on the other side of the room in front of the microwave, looking at me in amusement. "What are you doing?"

I laughed awkwardly, dropping my arm. "I thought you were going to scare me," I admitted sheepishly.

He chuckled, gesturing me closer to him. "You're so cute, Daphne."

"Where are Anna and the others who are staying after?" I questioned, moving closer to him. "Aren't they supposed to be here?"

"I told them to come at two thirty," he informed me, grabbing my arm, and dragging me the rest of the way to him. "What's in your hand?"

I looked down to see the last piece of my Kit-Kat bar still clenched in my fist. Before he could react I stuffed it into my mouth, severing any of his hope to eating it. "Nothing," I told him, holding my hand over my mouth.

He smirked. "You think that will stop me?"

I cocked my head to the side, not understanding what he meant. He pulled my hand down, moving his face closer to mine, taking the end of the bar that was sticking out of my mouth into his. My face flamed as he broke off his end, moving away from me. After swallowing it, he licked his lips.

"That tastes good."

I nearly choked on my end, my heart beating violently in my chest. It was crazy how easily he could send my heart into a frenzy. He chuckled, holding my face still. My body tensed as he brought his closer to mine, pausing an inch away.

"You've got some chocolate on your lip."

Before I could protest, he licked it off my lip, causing me to pull away from him. "Matt! That's gross!"

He laughed loudly, letting me go. "I love you, Daphne."

"What's wrong with you?" I demanded, trying to cool my face down with the palms of my hands. "You're acting strange."

"Am I?"

I nodded my head. "Definitely."

He frowned. "Well I did feel sick this morning."

"You did?" I questioned, my eyebrows furrowing together. "I didn't even notice… Come here."

"What?"

Ignoring his question, I placed my palm to his forehead. "It's not warm…"

He shrugged, pulling his hand away from his forehead. "Did you ever think it was because I was in a good mood?"

"I didn't know you could have good moods," I deadpanned.

He gently pushed my shoulder. "Daphne."

"Are you in a good mood?"

He nodded. "Have you seen the dance flier?"

"Yes…"

"Guess who is now a chaperone?"

My eyes lit up in excitement. "You are?"

He nodded again, a wide smile crossing his face. "As of today. Mr. Peterson dropped out and, as usual, I'm his replacement. You're going to the dance."

"You're ordering me?"

"You have no choice," he said firmly. "And then you're coming to my house after."

I raised an eyebrow. "Why?"

"I'm not telling you."

"Why not?"

"I don't want to," he responded simply.

"Matt!"

"Daphne!"

"Stop that!"

"Stop what?" he inquired, an amused expression on his face now. "Come on, let's get back into the main classroom. I'll help you with your Italian Cuisines report."

I grabbed the back of his shirt to stop him. "Hold on."

He glanced over his shoulder. "What?"

"I… I want to kiss you," I admitted, dropping my gaze. _Flub_. Why was it so hard just to say such a simple thing?

"You don't have to ask, Daphne," he responded, turning back to me. "You're my girlfriend. You can kiss me whenever you want."

"In class?"

He rolled his eyes. "You know what I mean."

I smiled, standing on my tiptoes so I could reach his face. As soon as our lips touched, the classroom door opened, sending us flying apart. Disappointment washed through me, and it seemed to affect him as well because an irritated expression crossed his face.

"Mr. Firay?"

I recognized Anna's voice instantly. Mr. Firay glanced at the clock and I followed his gaze, realizing it was only two twenty. No one was supposed to arrive for another ten minutes. He let out a quiet sigh, motioning for me to follow him out of the supply closet. Reluctantly, I did so, dropping my Kit-Kat wrapper in the trash as I did so.

"Good afternoon, Anna," he greeted her, offering her a polite smile. "You're early."

"It seems Daphne is too," she responded smartly. "I'm glad. Now I don't feel as bad."

I smiled hesitantly at her. It wasn't like I could pretend that she didn't make out with Sage. He should have known better. She should have too, she probably knew Sage wouldn't say no… I bit my tongue. _Here I go again_, I thought with a sigh, _thinking badly of her without knowing the whole story._

"Well you guys can get started on your essays then," Mr. Firay told us, taking a seat at his desk. "Just ask me if you have any questions."

"Sure!" Anna responded brightly.

I took a seat at my usual desk, pulling out my lab from my bag. Anna took the spot next to me, pushing her desk so it was directly next to mine. Frowning, I turned to give her a questioning look. She gave me an innocent look.

"Want to work together?"

"Err… Sure," I responded, smiling at her. If wouldn't be fair if I was mean to her. "So um, are you going to the dance?"

She nodded her head excitedly. "Yeah! I even have a date?"

"You do?" I asked, feeling depressed again. Poor Wendell…

"Yep! Wendell asked me after school today just before I came here."

My eyes widened and I quickly turned back to her. "Wait, he did?"

"Yes m'am!"

"And you said yes?"

She gave me peculiar look. "Why wouldn't I?"

"I don't know…" I was curious as to why she said yes. Wasn't she having a thing with Sage? Why would she say yes to Wendell? Were they just going as friends? _No_, I thought, _it's definitely a date_. So what about Sage? As much as I wanted to ask her about him, I knew I couldn't.

"What about you, Daphne? Do you have a date?"

I shook my head. "Nah."

"Why don't you take Jackson? He needs a date and you two seem to get along well," she suggested, taking a pencil out of her bag. "I'm sure he won't say no."

I stared at her for a minute, confused. Didn't she know what he was doing to me? Didn't he tell her what he knew? Why wasn't he telling her anything? Sure, it was a good thing he wasn't, but still… It was strange.

"You don't like him?" she asked, her happiness fading.

I hesitated for a moment. Why was she upset about that? He was always saying such mean things about her… Just then I realized she probably didn't know what he said about her behind her back. Which meant that whatever he said might not be true, which in turn meant maybe I had the wrong idea about Anna.

"Ladies," Mr. Firay interjected, saving me from replying. "You can chat later. Right now you're supposed to be working on your labs."

"Yes sir!" Anna responded, mock saluting him. "Let's get started, Daphne. I want to finish this so I can leave in about half an hour."

"Are you going somewhere?"

"I have a date."

"With Wendell?"

She laughed, shaking her head. "No! With Sage, of course."

_Sage?_ She called him _Sage_ now? A new feeling spread through my chest. I didn't like where this was going. I looked up to see Mr. Firay watching Anna with the same expression I was. Our gazes met after a moment and he frowned.

We definitely had to do something about this.

* * *

**A/N. **I finished all of this tonight. So, no review replies until next chapter. Sorry. Dang…my friend Anna was right. I say sorry way too much.

Winner of Last QotW: CherryColaGrimm: _Hotel Transylvania, because then, I could go to the movies dressed up like a vampire, and talk with a Transylvanian accents, and if my younger brothers try to bust into my room, I can say "HEY! woah woah woah! Dis is Hotel Transylvania! NO HUMANS ALOUD!"_

Heehee. That'd be great!

New QotW: What's your favorite Disney movie? Nothing recent, though. The old, classic movies. So, rule out the 3D-ish ones. I've been watching videos on YouTube by strawburry17, and she's making remix music videos for Disney movies. So far she's done The Lion King and Lilo and Stitch (AGH I'M SO OBSESSED WITH DISNEY RIGHT NOW!).

Sorry. I've been weird this week. Probably comes with turning 14.

See you guys soon! I'll try to keep you updated on my profile!

~Lara


	17. Chapter 17: Shopping

**A/N.**Thanks for the birthday messages, guys! They made my weekend. ^-^ Really -they rocked my socks.

**333th Review:** RockstarGurl1444

**Winner of the QotD:**Longlivethecookiemonster because her experiences with The Lion King sound fun!

I know it took me more than a week again, but there's a very cool reason this time: I wanted to update TODAY because...**it is my 3rd Year Anniversary on FanFiction.**Yeah. I know. I'm an oldie. ;D But I wanted to celebrate with you guys in a way so...yeah! :D (Also the chapter wasn't ready before, but that's beside the point...and when is it really? :P)

By the way...**Hotel Transylvania came out today**! AHHG. Going to watch it tomorrow with my friends as a "three week late with my school friends" birthday party. Actually, this is my third, xD I went to Mr. Mee's on my actual birthday, last weekend I had a Filipino party (OMG THAT WAS SO MUCH FUN. If you know the game Sardines...haaahaaaa!), and now I have this one. :3 Probably my longest birthday ever but anyways...

Oh! My official Science Fair title: Millennium Force: The Marble Mobile! Tadaaaa! Thanks, you guys, for helping me out with that!

Enjoy!

* * *

_Chapter 17: Shopping_

It wasn't every day I walked into Mr. Firay's classroom to find him watching a YouTube video with cute animals in it. He didn't notice as I quietly shut the door behind me. Doing my best to stay as quiet as possible, I slowly tiptoed towards his desk. Luckily for me, he was too intently focused on the video to notice me. Holding in my laughter, I grasped his shoulders as tightly as I could.

The next thing I knew, my nose was throbbing painfully.

"Oops," Mr. Firay said, yanking off the headphones. "Sorry, Daphne. I thought you were Sage…"

I stared at him in horror, holding my nose. "You just randomly punch Sage?"

He gave me a blank look. "Yes?"

"That's mean!"

A chuckle left his lips, and he pulled me towards him, making me sit on his lap. "Is your nose okay?"

"A kiss would make it better," I mumbled sarcastically, pulling my hand away from it. It still panged painfully. "You really pack a punch."

He took my hand in his, giving me a quick kiss on the nose. "Well, I am known for my one hit KOs."

I winced at the memory. "Oh, I know."

"So is there a reason for you coming to visit me?" he questioned, resting his chin on my shoulder.

"Not really. I just had the urge to see you," I admitted honestly, growing embarrassed. "Ah, that sounds weird."

He squeezed my abdomen tighter. "No it isn't. I wanted to see you too."

"Really?"

"I want to see you all the time," he told me, his breath tickling my ear.

I squirmed from the feeling, pulling my head away. "Don't do that," I scolded, feeling my heart beat increase.

"Don't do what?" he inquired innocently, breathing on my ear again. "This?"

"Yes that!"

"Why?"

I shuddered, wriggling on his lap. "It's giving me the tingles."

"The tingles?" he repeated, laughing quietly. "That's good. Does this give you the tingles?" Without warning, he pressed his lips to the hollow spot under my ear.

I jumped in surprise, turning my head to him. "M-Matt!"

He smirked at me. "You're so innocent."

"Sorry," I snapped.

"It's cute," he apprised me, ruffling my hair. "I like knowing I'm the only one who has witnessed the reactions you have when someone does something new to you."

I blushed now, turning my head away. A frown flitted across my face. I'd been doing so well with holding my blush back… How could he make my cheeks heat up so easily? It was almost inhuman.

"Oh!"

"Yes?"

"How'd you get on YouTube?" I questioned, glancing back to his computer, where the video was still playing.

He gave me a smug look. "It's a teacher privilege."

"Why are you looking at videos of animals?"

"I think I might get a pet," he responded thoughtfully. "I'm so used to you coming over my apartment; it's really lonely when you're not there. I thought a pet would make it more bearable… Unless you want to move in?"

It took a second for his words to process in my mind. _Move in?_ Was he serious? I stared at him with wide eyes.

He laughed again, flicking my nose. "Don't look so worried. I was kidding."

To my surprise, I felt disappointed. "Oh…"

"Of course, you can move in if you like," he informed me. "It'd just be smart to wait until you graduate… And when your parents are ready to let you go. I don't want them hating me for taking you away."

"I can move in with you? After I graduate, I mean."

He cocked an eyebrow. "Why do you look so skeptical?"

"I don't know… It just seems weird."

"Well seeing as I babysit you from time to time, I can see why. If you moved in, I could technically be a fulltime babysitter."

I scowled, lightly slapping him on the shoulder. "You're not my babysitter! That's just my mom's excuse to force me to stay at your place."

"Force you?"

"I mean, um, no, not like that. It's not that I don't want to stay, it's just that if ever for some reason I don't want to, um, she'd force me too," I babbled, my eyes dropping to the ground.

He gave me another tight squeeze. "I was kidding, Daphne."

"Should have guessed," I muttered. "But anyway, you want a pet? What kind?"

"Anything but a cat," he responded, wrinkling his noise. "I feel like they'd be really annoying."

I opened my mouth in surprise, trying to form a coherent response. "Cats are amazing!" I finally burst, feeling insulted. "They are the best pets!"

"Don't they just sleep all day?"

"No!"

He gave me an apprehensive look. "They just don't sound exciting. I'd much rather have a dog."

I frowned at him. "If I ever move into your apartment, we're getting a cat."

"I don't think so, Daphne."

"I don't like dogs!" _That_ was actually a lie -I loved all animals. Elvis the Great Dane (may he rest in peace) _especially_. But I thought getting a different pet would be interesting.

"I don't like cats."

"Have you ever owned one?"

He shook his head. "Nope."

"Don't judge them before owning one!"

"They're ugly."

"No you're just lying," I accused. "We're getting one."

"It's my house."

My next response died in my mouth. He got me there. A self-satisfied smile spread across his face as he leaned back in his chair, making me jolt up from the sudden angle. He raised an eyebrow in amusement, waiting for my retort.

"That's not fair," I finally stated.

He tugged on a piece of my hair. "I still haven't decided on getting a pet yet or not. If worse comes to worse, we could get neither and get like, a turtle or something."

I smiled. "A snapping turtle would suit you more."

Leaning forward in his seat again, he brushed his lips past mine once before planting them firmly on them. Immediately he licked my bottom lip and I opened my mouth slightly, allowing him access into it. He held my face in his hands when I tried to pull away, stopping my escape. My heart raced in my chest from the kiss, and also from the anxiety that we could be caught. Finally, I managed to pull myself free from him when he stopped to take a breath.

"I'm not sure whether I should be happy you have some self-control or disappointed," he remarked, grey eyes piercing into mine. "It wouldn't be good if were caught, but at the same time…"

I kissed him again lightly, tingles going through my body. "I know what you mean."

He gave me a curious look. "Daphne, what made you more comfortable with kissing me?"

I narrowed my eyes in confusion. "What do you mean?"

"Before you'd never start a kiss," he pointed out, "and you'd be really shy during the whole thing."

I frowned at him. "I don't know… I guess I'm getting used to it."

"Getting used to it," he repeated slowly. "That's not a bad idea…"

"What isn't?"

He grinned mischievously. "You'll see, my little Milkshake dancer."

My face flamed in embarrassment. "Don't bring that up!"

"Sure," he responded, nodding his head, and then proceeding to hum the tune to Milkshake.

"I hate you."

"You love me," he corrected, kissing me again. "I'll finish up here so we can do something today."

"Do something?"

He smiled. "I could use some groceries. We could go back to the one Sage works at."

My heart skipped a beat in excitement. I could go grocery shopping with him again?

Suddenly the door to the classroom burst open. Mr. Firay immediately shoved me off his lap, and I fell to the floor, landing uncomfortably on my butt. He sent me a worried look, but I shook my head in dismissal, turning to the door instead. Sage was standing there, watching us with an amused expression.

"What were you two doing?"

"Nothing," we responded in unison, relief evident in both our voices.

Mr. Firay sent me a disapproving look. "You forgot to lock the door?"

I scratched the back of my head sheepishly. "I guess I was too distracted by the fact I could actually scare you…"

"Good thing it was only me who walked in," Sage commented, coming over to the desk and holding out a hand to me.

I grasped it and he pulled me to my feet, wrapping an arm around my shoulder. Mr. Firay gave him a bored look. "What do you want?"

"I'm borrowing Daphne," he responded simply.

I stared at him. "What?"

"You heard me."

"We have plans," Mr. Firay told him, shaking his head. "Borrow her some other time."

Sage shrugged. "You can reschedule. Let's go, Daphne." He started dragging me to the door, one arm still around my shoulders, his other arm grasping my hand so I couldn't pull away.

"Wait," I demanded, sending a helpless look towards Mr. Firay. "I really can't—"

"Bye Matt!"

"Sage!"

"Say bye, Daphne!"

Mr. Firay pushed himself up from his desk, looking extremely irked. Sage laughed loudly, yanking me out the door before he got to us. We nearly sprinted down the empty hallways, towards the school exit. By the time we got outside I was panting, and holding a stitch in my side. Sage steered me to his car, placing me in the passenger's seat.

"Where are we going?" I demanded as soon as he slipped into the driver's seat.

"To the mall."

"Eh? Why?"

He glanced at me as he turned on the engine. "Why do you think?"

"I don't know…"

Rolling his eyes, he pulled out of the school parking lot, heading towards the mall. "Are you going to the dance on Friday?"

"Yeah, Matt is chaperoning so…"

He nodded. "That's good. I'm chaperoning too. What are you guys doing after?"

"Um, going back to his place."

A grin spread across Sage's face. He shot me a sidelong glance. "Birthday sex?"

"What?" I cried in surprise, feeling my cheeks heat up. "B-birthday sex? What?"

He sniggered at my reaction. "It was a joke… Kind of. You guys should be getting to that stage, right? I'm surprised Matt hasn't tried anything yet."

"S-Sage!"

He glanced at me, a blank expression crossing his face. "Wait a second… Don't tell me…"

I glared at him, my face still flaming. "Tell you what?"

"Are you a virgin?"

My mouth dropped open at his direct question. For a few seconds I gaped at him. He looked just as surprised as me.

"You are!"

"So what?" I snapped.

He burst out laughing. "Oh my god! I can't believe it!"

"What's so funny?"

He didn't respond, but kept laughing like a maniac. I glanced at the road, making sure we weren't going to crash into anything. My heart sunk when I randomly realized my car was still at the school… Sage would have to drive me back to get it later.

"I can't believe you're a virgin," he commented, going into a cough. "Actually, I can."

I scowled at him. "What of it?"

"Nothing, it's cute," he told me honestly, grinning ear-to-ear. "I can't wait until Matt finds out. Although, he probably has figured it out already."

"Shut up!"

"So I guess birthday sex is out of the picture," Sage continued, looking unfazed by my death looks. "Unless…" He peered at me. "Are you…?"

I shifted my gaze. "M-Matt said we're not… We won't… You know, have a… physical relationship until I graduate."

Sage nodded approvingly. "Good. It will keep you both out of trouble. Although that's weird… Going through high school a virgin."

"Sage."

"Well if it's not birthday sex, what are you going to give him for his birthday?"

I blinked. "His birthday?"

"Why did that sound like a question?"

"When's his birthday? It's coming up?" I inquired, furrowing my eyebrows. "He wouldn't tell me when I asked him…"

Sage gave me a look of disbelief. "His birthday is Friday! I assumed you knew, that's why I joked around with the birthday sex."

"It's Friday?" I repeated, my eyes growing wide. "I didn't have any idea! Oh no! Sage, what do I do? I have no idea what I'm going to get him!"

"That's what I was bringing you to the mall for! I need help!"

"You need to help me!"

"You have to help me first!"

"I'm his girlfriend!"

"I'm his best friend!"

The car jolted as Sage slammed on the break for a red light. We shared a challenging look with each other for a few moments. I finally gave in first, letting out a sigh. "Okay, if we work together, we'll figure out what to get him."

"Deal… I can't believe you didn't know it was his birthday."

"Me either," I mumbled, turning my attention out the window.

How could I not have known something so important? I would have gone over to his house Friday night without knowing that. I wouldn't have even said happy birthday! The thought made me feel awful.

"Hey kiddo."

My attention turned back to Sage. "Yeah?"

"Don't feel too bad," he started. "There was no way for you to figure it out if no one told you."

"Yeah, I guess," I agreed reluctantly. "There's so much I don't know about him though, but he knows so much about me."

Sage shrugged. "You're an easy person to figure out."

"Thanks," I said flatly.

He smiled. "Matt, not so much. It's understandable. Although, compared to everyone else, you know Matt way better than anyone. Excluding me, of course."

"You think?"

"I know."

"Even Daphne?"

"Even Daphne," he agreed. "Your relationship with Matt is much more deeper than hers had ever been."

The thought brought a smile to my face. "Really?"

"Really."

"That's good then, I suppose," I commented, shifting in my seat. "I still don't know what to get him for his birthday, though."

Sage made a face. "Has he mentioned anything he wants lately?"

"Besides Jackson gone, not really."

"This may sound random, but do Ariana and Wendell know what Jackson tried?"

I shook my head quickly. "No!"

"Why not?"

"I don't want them to know," I replied truthfully. "It'll just be awkward. Jackson's nice to them, and I just don't want to hassle them with that…"

Sage frowned. "I think you should tell them."

"I don't know…"

"Do you want them being friends with such a guy? What if he tries the same thing to Ariana?"

My eyes widened at him. "You don't think…"

"No. But if he did, I'd beat the living daylights out of him," he muttered, scowling at the steering wheel.

The corners of my lip twitched into a smile. Even if Sage was interested in Anna, at least he still seemed to care about Ariana. Hopefully he'd realize just what type of person Anna was and get with Ariana…

"What do you think about getting Matt a blender?"

"A blender?"

"Yep."

I thought about it for a second. "I think he has one…"

"Damn."

After a little while longer we pulled into the mall parking lot. Sage acquired a parking spot near the entrance of the mall, so we only had to walk a little bit before making it inside. The smell of pretzels hit me full force, making my stomach growl. Sage grinned, guiding me towards the pretzel stand to buy me some nuggets.

"Alright. Now that the beast is sedated—"

"Hey!"

He smirked. "Where should we start?"

My eyes trailed the stores closest to where we were. Pac Sun, Hot Topic, the Disney store, J.C Penny, Hollister, A.C Moore, a chocolate store, Build-A-Bear, Kay Jewelers, the pet store, Pandora, Target… I did a double take.

"Sage… I have a great idea."

He raised an eyebrow. "Yeah?"

I nodded, grinning like a maniac. "I know exactly what I'm going to get Matt for his birthday."

"That's great for you," he responded in a pouting tone. "What about me?"

"You'll buy the other things I'm going to need for it," I responded, grabbing his hand, and tugging him towards the store.

"Seriously? It's that easy?"

I nodded my head in excitement. "It's going to be perfect!"

"Awesome! Okay, so now that you have his birthday present set, what about his Valentine's Day one?"

I stopped short, turning to look at Sage blankly. Valentine's Day? I hadn't even thought about that! A groan escaped my lips. "I'm going to be so broke…"

He patted me on the back. "I'll spot you some if you need it."

I looked at him thankfully. "I love you."

"I know," he responded in a very Mr. Firay-like way.

* * *

**A/N. **Heehee. I hope you enjoyed! Comment and fave! ^^ There should be a voting button here, like Wattpad does. Then I could say, "Favorite and vomment!" XD

_Beware -for there are __3 pages of review replies__, __42 replies in total__, and all that is __1,360 words__. __**JUST the replies**__…so, if I messed up, it's because my eyes crossed._

Random: Lol, that's so cool, wow! :D

CupCake: Argh, sorry this update is late! Wanted to update today because of my FF Anniversary. Sorry again!

PRPLove: Haha, thanks!

Animals 9990: Aw, thanks so much! Ah, I don't know if I'm going to do that -I have other projects in mind, and this would cut on my school homework time. :3 I'll probably make one-shots, though. :)  
3Bebe17: Aw, thank you so much! :D

cbstormx: Hahaha, Anna. Peter Pan is mucho gravy -I'm surprised I didn't see anyone say that was their favorite movie also. XD Thanks!

2Trikster Queen: Thank you! :D Disney is awesome sauce -the old one, that is. Hmm...very good question. :D I never thought of that...Haha, thanks! :D

Curlscat: That's okay. I haven't reviewed AMaWoS yet. :3 Hahaha, aw, thanks! Puck is silly, that's why. :D Yessiree I did! I agree -it sort of seemed like Sabrina and Daphne got married...oh gross. I must sprinkle forgetful dust on myself. D: I wish MB made a Puck kid. He/she would be adorable. Haha, that's okay! Oh, thanks for finding that error! :) Heehee -emowriter gave me that idea to use. :D I'd love to do a masquerade. Last year everything was circus themed. Oh wow, that sounds really cool! :D I'm not sure what I'm going to be for Halloween...what do you think? I think that was supposed to say "chair" but thanks! AGH, I'm sorry! I will work on my commas! Yes, she is messed up.

RedneckRebel: Haha, cool! And you are correct! :D Hahaha! LILO AND STITCH ROCK!

CupCake: Yup, very drama filled! :D

Killer bunnies: Thank you! :D It's cool -it's not much different asides from the fact that my friends who are a few years older than me don't treat me like a kid anymore. :) Me too! Really? HAPPY EARLY BIRTHDAY! Hahaha, your friends sound cool! lol, I love Nate. Haha, applesauce... Hahaha, Puck, "Smack smack smack smack SMACK". Haha, I love Ariana and Wendell. Well, it wasn't a gigantic candy bar, it was a small KitKat bar, but yeah, hahah! Fruitless attempt. Stupid Anna. :D Lol. Mulan and Eddie Murphy rock.

Guest: Hahha, that's really awesome! And I never get tired of your comments. :D Oooh, good movie! :D

PenguinLoverGurl (for all of your messages ch. 16): Haha. Beauty and the Beast rocks. BWAHAHAHAHA! A Moth Gaston? Bwhahahahahaha. Chip is one of my faves. Haha, cool! Haha, I'm glad you think that. XD I agree -I based him on my cousin, Xavier. He's 1. :) Lol, spellcheck isn't too reliable though. XD Hahaha, true. Lol, "he messed up the whole freaking system!" that made my day. XD Hahah, it would be a load of poo! "Shatter the fine fabrics that hold up this very universe..." Whoa. Deep, man, deep. Hopefully that never happens. He is a meanie beanie. ...Ohmygosh,...you just -ack -I won't tell you what you just found out, but keep this review in a very safe place that you can look back on. Just do it because when you read THE chapter and look at THIS review, you will feel like the smartest person in the world. XD And yup -he's straight. Thanks for the review!

Laylaenchantix101: Mulan is good. I watched the Disney on Ice for "Pocahontas" when I was smaller. :) Hahaha, I liked that part, too! And no, she isn't. :3 Imaginary beards are awesome. :) And-a thank ya very much-a!

Longlivethecookiemonster: Heylo back at you! Aw, thank you! :D Oh wow, that's seriously cool. :D I love Nate, too! Haha, oh Puck. Lol- I love that: love octagon. XD Lion King rocks my socks -I really like it too. It sounds like you had a lot of fun. Ooh, I've heard of Lenka -I like Rachel Platten better though. :3 Thanks for the review!

yellow.r0se: Haha, Jackson poisoning everyone? Sounds realistic. ;D I think Puck WOULD be a great father -even though he's really immature, I'm sure he'd be mature enough to not put a baby's life in danger. THANK YOU, DEAREST! :D Oh thanks for finding that error. That's okay -I need to improve. :) Hahha, me when writing 0_0' ("Should I post this?") Haha, that's okay. Thank you! :D

RockstarGurl4444: Haha; thanks! Snow White -gonna love!

GrimmGirlLove: I'm so so sorry! Your HPPM will be the first thing I reply to after this update! Thanks! Lol. Sleeping Beauty's good. :)

emowriter: Love octagon. :D Nate is my favorite baby! Lol, like a butterfly doing ballet. LOL, "I don't give a shuck!" Thank you! Whoa -cool! Yesterday was Google's 14 birthday, and so was y friend Matthew. He turned 14. XD So he and Google are like, twins. Thank you! Lol is that your catchphrase? Puck should have stubble by now...

CupCake: Not sure if I'm going to add that in. :3 YES I HAVE! But Tamaki is nothing like Matt. Matt is not very expressive, and is more of a series is kind of guy, you know? So...agh. Forgot his name...the guy with dark hair and glasses? He's a combo of him and the other guy...not Honey, not the twins or Tamaki...forgot his name, but he's like Honey's bodyguard. :) I imagine SAGE as Alex Pettyfer, even though I say Sage has brown hair. :3

Ftft: Lol, I should!

Guest: Yup! We confirmed that a while ago, so you're a little late, but yeah. :)

Civic: Lol, he liked it. XD Of course! I shall now call you Civic!

RedneckRebel: Thanks! And I dunno. :)

killer bunnies: S'okay. :) Finding Nemo goooood! Did you know Dory is played by Ellen? I love that. XD

killer bunnies: Thank you for being so understanding! XD Thanksgiving is two months away...You did?! Ah, how good is it?! I didn't really like Thalia's -she sort of -no offense D:- looked like Chuckie. Percy's okay. But yes -our imaginations are a heck lot better. XD Really? You are very very smart, my friend. Hahaha! Matt IS clever -very legit. He does. XD Gay jokes are awesome -no offense to gay people. :3 Thanks! :)

Ri: My birthday. :3 Haha, that's okay! HT looks great! Thanks! Oh and yeah, I know there's a guy named Sage. I got that book in February, after FTFT started, and I realized that they were sort of the same! Very coincidental.

HallePLG: That wasn't cool at all. You know I actually got worried?

CherryColaGrimm: Thanks! :) Aww, you're sweet! Haha, that sounds gravy!

yellow.r0se: Huh. I think you said that already. Deja vu. I sort of like him. :) Not sure if that will become a chapter, but... That's okay. :) Sage is gravy -he will find looooove! Thanks! :)

Curlscat: Agh. I know. Didn't edit it very well. :/ She is taking Bio, though, just with another teacher. Hey, if you need sleep, you need sleep. :) Night!

yorkie999777000: Hahaha, okay!

GuestD: Hahah, thank you so much! XD I love your reviews.

PenguinLoverGurl: Holy smack. They're really real. And that means...DAPHNE's KID's NAME IS OWEN. HOLY CRAB -I JUST SAW A GREAT DANE NEXT DOOR TODAY! AAAAHHHHH! Oh, lol. I love Dory! Yaaaaayy! My title's going to be awesome. Agreed. And agreed. Except when he kissed Anna, haha! Matt is so Matt, but not Mustardseed. XD Jack and Jill Power makea them sound like a SuperHero Team...The JJ Power Twins!

Krys and Mel: Heehee!

As White As Snow: I think Sour Cream and Onion Lays are the best. :3 Haha, that means a lot to me. :D Thanks!

puckabrina-FAXfan: Don't we all wish Sage was real? XD

Archer Princess: Who is what? XD MoA comes out Monday OMDG! What?! The SoN is the best! Nasty fridge. :) Lol. I love Matt, though! Haha, I like that part. Sage always has a wonderful entrance. His very presence is wonderful. It is impossible. XD I don't think I've seen Ginny...mustcheckout...

Laylaenchantix101: xD It is his job. :) Yeah I realized that too! That's why I switched. :)

Katie: Thanks!

lovelylamb1999: Lol, me too. Aw, thanks!

emowriter: Yessiree. Haha, go go go! Cool! Lol, I love Sage. And I am funny because I am fun. :D

**Happy 3rd Year Anniversary, you guys! :D**

Fun fact: Yesterday was Google's 14th birthday, and so was my friend Matthew's birthday, and he turned 14 also. So, Matthew and Google are twins.

~Lara


	18. Chapter 18: Cartier

**A/N.** Hello again! Sorry for this late update -yesterday was a very sad day. I don't think you've heard of this unless you live locally close to me, but an eleven year old named Jesse Watlington (Rest In Peace) was struck by lightning when he was going to one of his football practices and passed away yesterday. I also found out he lived close to my _street. _Like, just a street away from me. It's surprising because I didn't know he existed before the accident. And now that I think I could've seen him passing by on the streets is really saddening. There's been a lot of sad messages posted on FB (one by me) and it's gotten me all melancholy, so I'm sorry this update is late -I just was not feeling it to update yesterday. Or today. But anyways.

Okay guys, I just got a wonderful example of the compliment sandwich review from Animeforever! I won't copy and paste it in case she doesn't want me to. But let me just say it was pretty fantastic. She gave me lots of nice words and advice, but she also put me down (in a good way...does that make sense?). It was long and thoughtful and I just overall really liked it.

I won't be review replying since I forgot. Again. Oh, I'm also sorry about last chapter -I do know that Daphne loves dogs (Elvis, durr); I just completely missed that, sorry! I can't edit right now but I will fix that! :( I'm sorry I've become so unreliable. But I hope you enjoy the chapter anyways.

**QotM **(I'm calling it that because that's how long I may be gone, and I forgot to do one last week)**: **You have a piece of wood, duct tape, grapes, an umbrella, and a chicken leg. WHAT DO YOU DO WITH THEM?

Enjoy!

* * *

_Chapter 18: Cartier_

When Friday rolled around you could literally feel the euphoria in the air. All the girls were gossiping about how beautiful their dresses were and all the boys were bragging about their dates. At the moment, Ariana was gushing about her "perfect, stunning, jaw-drop worthy" dress.

"It just reaches my knees," she prattled as we walked down the hallway toward the science wing. "I can't wait until you see it tonight! You'll be amazed!"

I smiled at her exhilaration. "What color is it?"

She made a face. "I wanted one in blue, but since our theme is Valentine's Day I got a deep pink."

"I'm sure it will still look great on you," I responded, rolling my eyes. "You look good in _every_ color. What's your mask look like?"

A smirk crossed her face. "You'll have to wait and see."

"Fine."

"What does _your _dress look like?"

My smiled turned sheepish. "Well actually, I spent all my money…"

Her eyes widened. "What? You don't have a dress? Why did you do that?"

"No, no. I never I said I didn't have a dress. I just mean that I couldn't buy a new one. I'm wearing the dress I wore to my birthday dinner," I explained, remembering the night perfectly. The first time Matt _legally_ kissed me.

Ariana cocked an eyebrow. "I don't think I've seen that dress."

"No one has, except Matt and Sage, and I doubt they'll care," I told her.

"So what did you spend your money on then? Something for your car?"

I shook my head. "No… Um, on Matt's Valentine's Day and birthday presents," I admitted quietly, stopping in front of the lab room.

"It's his birthday? Oh my god! I have to say happy birthday—"

"No!"

She looked at me like I was crazy. "Why not?"

"He doesn't know I know," I confessed, dropping my gaze. "I didn't even know until Sage told me."

"Why didn't he tell you?" she asked, sounding confused.

I shrugged. "I don't know, but it's a good thing Sage told me or I wouldn't have even said happy birthday to him."

"So, then, what did you get him?" she questioned, looking excited again. "Tell me!"

Shaking my head, I grinned again. "I'll tell you after I give it to him. No offense to you, but you might blurt something out."

She pouted at me. "Fine. Can you tell me tonight?"

"I'm giving it to him after the dance."

"Birthday sex?"

I smiled wryly. She and Sage really were the perfect couple.

"Ariana!"

The sudden voice in my ear caused me to start. Ariana's eyes snapped behind me, a shy smile spreading across her face. To my amazement, she looked a little nervous. She _never_ looked nervous. Turning my head, I felt my heart drop into my gut as Jackson came into view.

"_Hola_, babe. Ready for our big date tonight?" he asked, elbowing me out of the way.

I glared at him, rubbing my collarbone where he'd hit me. "Date? What are you talking about?"

He swung an arm around Ariana's shoulder, a smug expression crossing his face. "I found my date to the dance."

I blinked. "What?"

"He asked me last night," she informed me, wrapping an arm around his waist. "I couldn't say no."

My mind was blank. Ariana could _not_ date Jackson. Didn't she know what kind of guy he was? _No_, an angry voice in my head told me, _because you didn't tell her what he tried to do to you_. I shoved the voice away, already feeling angry with myself. "Ariana, can I talk to you for a moment?"

She cocked her head to the side. "Why? I'll be late to my next class…"

"Mr. Firay will write you a pass," I promised her. He most definitely wouldn't.

Jackson narrowed his eyes at me. "I think it's best not to be late to class, Daphne."

"Shut up," I snapped at him.

"Daphne!" Ariana cried, taken aback. "Sorry, Jackson… I don't know what's wrong with Daphne today."

He shrugged. "It's fine. She probably just didn't get enough sleep last night. Who knows what she could have been doing? Extra credit maybe?" His mouth twisted into a self-satisfied smile.

"That's just like her," she laughed, not getting the true meaning behind his words, and pushing him toward the door. "She's almost failing, you know?"

"So she must do it a lot then. I'm going to take a guess that she does it for Home EC some days as well."

Ariana looked confused for a moment, but then laughed again. "Probably."

"As I thought."

"I do not!" I exclaimed, feeling my cheeks heat up.

Without warning the doorway swung open, and Matt appeared, a frown on his face. His eyes swept past us, doing a double take when he noticed Jackson's arm wrapped around Ariana and vice versa. After that his gaze snapped back to mine, his eyes questioning.

"I should go to class," Ariana started, stepping away from Jackson. "See you guys later. Bye Mr. Firay!"

"Bye Ariana," we all responded; Jackson happily, Matt confused, and I irritated.

Jackson smirked at me before pushing past Matt and into the classroom.

"Ms. Grimm?" Matt started slowly, taking in my expression.

My fists were clenched at my sides as I stared past him, at Jackson. How could he say that? I didn't sleep around with teachers! I just wanted to walk over to him and punch him repeatedly in his face…

"Ms. Grimm?" Matt repeated, waving his hand in front of my face. "Are you okay?"

I blinked out of my seething thoughts, focusing on my Home EC teacher now. "I… He…" My mouth felt dry and I trailed off, unable to say what I wanted.

"Did he do something?" he inquired, lowering his voice and setting his jaw. "I swear to god if he tries something again—"

I shook my head furiously. "No, Mr. Firay! He didn't do anything… He's… just being a pain like usual," I lied. Well it wasn't a total lie. He _was_ being a pain. I couldn't tell Matt he was accusing me of sleeping with him _and_ Sage.

The bell rang overhead and I smiled at him. "Time for class."

"Daphne," he started to protest, but I shook my head.

"I'm fine," I assured him. "Nothing I can't handle."

He still didn't look satisfied, but allowed me into the classroom nonetheless. To my annoyance, Anna was sitting in my usual spot next to Wendell. My eyes scanned the class and I realized the only place available was in the last row, next to Jackson. My heart sunk. I couldn't deal with him right now…

"Daniel, would you mind moving next to Jackson in the back? Daphne needs to sit closer to the board because she can't see very well," Matt inquired, folding his arms over his chest.

Daniel raised an eyebrow at me. "I didn't know you had bad vision."

I didn't either.

"I usually wear contacts," I made up quickly, shooting a thankful look to Matt. "I just forgot them today."

"No problem then," Daniel responded, jumping up from his seat. "Anything for the pretty lady."

A couple of people wolf whistled as a grinning Daniel moved to the back of the room. I flushed, dropping my gaze to the ground. Matt muttered something that sounded suspiciously like "damn brat" under his breath. I took Daniel's place next to Anna and she smiled at me.

"Okay. So do you all remember that quiz we took last week? The one on finances?"

A groan swept through the class. Wendell grinned triumphantly while I slid lower in my seat. I was positive I'd failed that one.

"Most of you did well," Matt continued, smiling at a few students in the class. "But a few…" His gaze locked with mine for a split second. "Seemed to not understand the concept. I want to have a brief conversation with those students, so while I'm doing that, everyone else will be watching a movie."

Most of the class cheered while a few other students, including me, stayed silent. Excited chatter filled the room while Matt went into the supply room to find the DVD we were going to watch. I turned to Anna, who held the same expression I did. Apparently she failed as well.

"Is he angry?" she whispered desperately, turning between Wendell and myself. "Is he? He looks angry."

"I don't think he's angry," Wendell reassured her, laughing. "He's nice. He'll probably let you retake it."

She frowned deeper. "But I still don't know how to do it!"

"Neither do I," I admitted, sighing.

"I can teach you, Anna," Wendell offered, trying to look casual about it. "I'm pretty sure I got a hundred anyway."

Her eyes lit up. "Really?"

"Really."

"What about me?" I demanded, glowering at him. He was going to help Anna, but not his best friend?

He sent me a flat look. "You have the world's best tutor."

"She does?" Anna inquired at the same time I said, "I do?"

He stared at me for a few more seconds. Finally, I understood what he meant. I laughed nervously, scratching the back of my head. "Oh, right…"

"Who is it?" Anna asked, turning to me. "I definitely need a tutor!"

"He's, um… Well…" I trailed off, not knowing what to say. I couldn't tell her it was the teacher. "My uncle. He's a financer –uh, I mean banker."

Her face dropped. "Oh."

"Hey, didn't I say I would help you?" Wendell said, leaning closer to her. "I swear I know what I'm doing."

She laughed at him. "Okay, okay. You can be my tutor, Wendell. I've always wanted a cute tutor."

"I've always wanted a cute student."

My face twisted into a frown as Wendell and Anna continued their banter. I was positive he didn't know Anna was secretly dating Sage. Why was Anna flirting with him so much when she had her sight set on Sage? It wasn't fair.

"Who's ready for some Finding Nemo?" Matt asked, coming back into the classroom with the movie. "While I get this started, Ms. Grimm, will you drag a desk into the hall? You're the first on my list to speak with."

Snickers and giggles went through the classroom as I felt my face heat up. He just _had_ to announce to the whole class I didn't do well on the quiz, didn't he? Were teachers even allowed to do that? Surely that was some type of harassment…

Begrudgingly, I stood up and proceeded to drag my desk out into the hall. A few minutes later Matt came out, dragging a chair behind him. I pursed my lips at him, crossing my arms. He cocked his head to the side. "Something wrong, grumpy?"

"You just basically told the class I failed!"

He grinned and shrugged. "Well—"

"Mr. Firay!"

"Calm down," he said, rolling his eyes. "You didn't really fail."

I blinked. "I didn't?"

"Nope."

"Really?"

"Really," he assured me, taking a seat on the chair he'd brought. "You actually did surprisingly well. It was pretty much basic math, and I know you like math."

The corners of my mouth twitched into a smile and I felt a little bit better. "That's good… But why are you talking to me then?"

He cocked an eyebrow. "You don't want to talk to me?"

"That's not it!"

"I know it isn't," he responded smartly, leaning closer toward me. "I just wanted to ask you what your plans were for tonight."

I hesitated a moment, trying to keep my face expressionless. There was _no_ way he could know what I planned for tonight. It had to be a complete surprise. "I'm going to your apartment after, right?"

He nodded. "Yes, and I'm going to make dinner for us."

"You are?"

"Yes?"

He was going to cook dinner on his birthday? That wasn't very thoughtful of me. However, it wasn't like I could cook. A sheepish expression crossed my face. "Actually, I'm kind of in the mood for… Chinese takeout?"

He gazed at me curiously for a few moments before nodding. "Okay, that works."

I smiled, pleased with myself. "Should I drive to your house, or go with Ariana and then leave with you?"

"Go with Ariana, and you can leave with me, that way you save gas."

"Okay, I'll tell her…" I trailed off, feeling my heart sink. If Jackson were going with Ariana, that meant they'd be going in the same car. Same with Wendell, since he was going with Anna. There would be room for me, but with Jackson in the car… "Um, maybe I'll just drive myself."

Matt gave me a questioning look. "Why?"

"Ariana is going with Jackson to the dance," I blurted out before I could stop myself. "I don't want to be near him. I don't want him to be near her! What if he tries something? And Anna is going with Wendell while Anna is actually dating Sage, so she's probably hurting them both since Sage and Wendell probably don't know what's going on! Not to mention neither Wendell nor Ariana know what Jackson tried to do to me the other night, and—"

"Breathe," Matt interjected, reaching over the table to take my hand into his. "Slow down."

Obeying his command, I took a deep breath of air and let it out slowly. After a few moments I felt more relaxed. "What should I do, Matt?"

"Nothing," he replied simply. "This is Jackson, Ariana, Anna, Sage, and Wendell's problem— it's probably not even a problem. You're thinking into it too much."

"But—"

"I'll have Sage pick you up, then," he continued, ignoring my protests.

I pouted at him. Why didn't he care? Who knew what Jackson was planning? There was no way he was going with Ariana because he _liked_ her.

Matt chuckled. "Don't look so sad. The only reason I'm having Sage pick you up is because I have to do something before I go to the dance."

"What's that?"

"Secret."

"I hate secrets."

His mouth twisted up. "I know you do. Now one more thing before you can go watch Finding Nemo."

"I'd rather stay out here with you…"

"I know you would," he stated narcissistically, "but you don't want a certain someone getting suspicious, do you?"

A frown flitted across my face. "Right…"

"Here."

It took me a second to process the compact, black box he'd put in front of me. I stared down at it for a moment, confused. "What is it?"

"Open it. You might find out."

Rolling my eyes, I dragged it closer to me. "Is this the eraser you said you were going to get me because I did so much more erasing than actual writing?"

"Perhaps."

"Gee, thank…" My remark was cut off when I lifted the top off. Instead of a pink, rubbery eraser like I'd expected, staring up at me were two silvery-white bangles with what looked like diamonds decorated on them. Dryness spread through my mouth swiftly as I stared between the box and Matt, trying to form a coherent sentence.

"I hope they match your dress… I forgot to ask what color your dress was before I bought them. It was either White Gold or Gold. I figured White would look better."

Finally I got my voice back. "T-they'll match…"

"Happy Valentine's Day," he wished with a grin, leaning closer to me again. Now his head was solely a foot away from mine.

"These look really expensive…"

"Do you like them?"

I nodded my head vehemently. "I love them! It's just with the necklace you got me for Christmas—"

He cut me off. "That was a birthday present too."

"My point is that necklace is expensive too!"

"Where is that anyway?" he inquired, his gaze travelling down to my bare throat.

My hand subconsciously went to my neck. "I didn't wear it today… It doesn't really match red."

A chuckle left his lips. "You're such a girl. Since the necklace doesn't match, you're wearing those bangles. Let me see the arm you're going to wear them on."

"Why?" I questioned, holding out my left arm anyway.

He dragged the box of bangles closer to him again. "This is a special type of bracelet. Have you ever heard of a Cartier love bracelet?"

"No…"

"Well, now you have." He raised his hand, holding up a tiny screwdriver. "See this? Without this screw drive you can't take off the bangles."

I blinked as he began to attach the first bracelet to my wrist. "Wait, what?"

He smirked. "That means only I will be able to take these off you."

"Wait a second, Matt. I don't think I like that idea—"

"Too late," he commented in a singsong voice as he finished putting on the first bangle. "It looks nice against your skin."

I ducked my head in embarrassment. A bracelet only he could take off? As much as I thought it seemed a little strange, it was also rather romantic. Still, the question was: How much were the bracelets? Why did he get two?

"All right," he started when he finished putting on the second one. "Proof that you belong with me."

I glanced at the bangles on my arm and couldn't help but smile. They actually did look good. "Thank you, Matt."

"You can thank me properly later," he replied smoothly, a wily expression crossing his face.

My cheeks warmed at his implication. "I-I will."

"Good girl. Now head back to class," he demanded, shooing me with his hands.

"See you later, Mr. Firay."

He elevated his hand, brushing the underside of my jaw softly with his fingers as I trudged by him. It sent shivers down my spine. "Hasta luego, Daphne. Send Julianne out next, please. That girl actually needs all the help she can get…"

I laughed quietly as I reentered the classroom. A few curious heads turned towards me before they quickly lost interest and returned to the screen playing the children's movie. Anna smiled knowingly at me, causing me to pause a few feet away from her warily.

"I'm next, right?" she inquired, pushing herself up from the desk.

"Oh, um, yeah," I responded, my body filling with relief. "Mr. Firay's waiting, yeah."

She grinned. "Okay. Be back soon, Wendell."

Wendell mumbled an adieu to her, too immersed in the movie to really care. I took her empty seat, setting my arm down on my usual desk to admire my bracelets. Once again, he'd thrown me off guard. Was there any way my present could live up to this? He must have spent… I didn't even want to think about it.

"Ooh, fancy bangles," Wendell commented, shifting his head to look at me. A smug expression crossed his face. "You weren't wearing those before you went out there."

"Shut up," I snapped, keeping my head turned away from him. "Yes I was. I don't know what you're talking about."

He snickered. "Yeah, okay, Daphne. So did you ask your boyfriend what he was wearing to this masquerade?"

My mind blanked. I hadn't asked him that.

"I'll take your silence as a no… Now it's going to be tough trying to find him."

_Flub._

* * *

**A/N.** No replies this week. :3 Sorry.

Due to Science Fair, I really might have to stop updating. It's worth 50% of my grade and I really need to work on it (I only have less than a month to do the experiment and make the data tables and such); my dad says I spend too much time on FF and that I need to cut off some more from it. So I won't be updating until after Nov. 3 most likely. Sorry guys.

On the bright side...WHO HAS THE MARK OF ATHENA?! I got it yesterday at Costco! I haven't opened it up, though -I've been staring at it like a creeper this whole day. I don't know if I should read it later when the release of book 4 will be closer, or read it now and not accidentally read spoiler one-shots... Oh well. But I'm so fudging happy.

Thanks for reading! See you all after November 3rd! And Happy Columbus Day!

-Lara

PS. Okay, I've opened the Mark of Athena now. AAAAHAHHH IT'S SO FUDGING GOOD! NARCISSUSS REMINDS ME OF THE "Soy Guapo" GUY ON YOUTUBE, EXCEPT ACTUALLY GOOD-LOOKING. And the Percabeth ohmygodsohmydemigoooodssss. Okay *ahem* I'm done.


	19. Chapter 19: Conflict

**A/N.** Hi!

Thanks for being so patient, you guys! :D I'm glad you guys didn't spam me with "Y U NO UPDATE?" reviews. :) Oh, and look! I updated EXACTLY one day after I said I would! I think these past few weeks have matured me...sort of. :)

WHOA. 402 Reviews? How the fudge?! We just had 333 on Ch. 17! :0 *facepalm* **Congrats to kgirl**, by the way, for being the **400****th**** reviewer**! You get four spoiler questions, or, if you have a prize in mind (something within reason), we can go with that, too. :) But thank you EVERYONE. There are 19 chapters so far...402 reviews...*calculates* like 21 reviews per chapter?! Flubber nuggets!** Extra-extra-extra-extra-extra-long chapter, yay!**

OHMYGODS. For Mark of Athena waiters/lovers/gossipers: AAAAAAAAHHHHHH. The ending was mind-blowing! I absolutely cannot wait for the next book! Leo and Percy and Annabeth were the best in the book no doubt. Ugh. Poor Leo. And Nico's so drained of energy right now...UGH. I cried so much.

I have a new anime recommendation for anyone who's looking for a good action-y, crime-y show! **Eden of the East:** It's about this guy who finds he has amnesia. All he has is a phone and a gun (which is very significant to the series…even if he throws it away). The phone has the number "9" on it, and basically, he's part of this game made by a man called Mr. Outside where he has to try and save Japan with 10 billion yen (the phone gives him that much money), but if he doesn't succeed (using money for personal reasons, using all the money up, not using it at all), he gets terminated by the Supporter. There are 12 people (Selecaos) in all, playing the game who are also picked to try and save the world. Only one person wins. I watched the 11 episodes and it was awesome... IT'S SO GOOD! The guy who has amnesia, Takizawa, looks like how I imagine Fang from Max Ride, except smiley-er. And just plain awesomer. Also, Takizawa's such a lighthearted person in this anime -I'm so in love with him. He's polite, sweet, and just...ugh. Just watch the anime. He's strange, but he's adorable. There are also two movies, but they're not very satisfying. Just stop at the anime. I swear, I'm so addicted to the AMVs of it that I actually changed my FB profile to "Air King" haha! **Warning: **The first episode seems a little hard to swallow (you'll see right at the beginning –nothing sex related, of course), but if you can stomach that, you'll really love the show.

**QotW:** I'm going basic here**: What's your most favorite book and why?** I'm voting based on the support given. So if you say, "Sisters Grimm because it's good," you have to give me reasons why it's good. And "The main guy is hot." is not an acceptable answer. :D

**Winner of QotM: **Curlscat because she was very detailed and included the Hundred Acre Wood. :D

ENJOYSES! Happy belated Halloween which was my Grandma's birthday by the way! :) And some parts of the beginning of this chapter WERE written by me. I added in Henry and Basil because in the original version, Holly's/Daphne's dad died, and I wanted to add in Henry and Basil (Holly/Daphne is an only child) since they doesn't get a lot of chapters.

* * *

_Chapter 19: Conflict_

"You look so gorgeous!"

An embarrassed grin crossed my face as I paused at the top of the stairs, glancing at my mom at the bottom of them. My dad held a camera, snapped a picture of me, and shook his head at my mom. She wolf-whistled as I continued down them, taking extra care not to stumble in my heels. When I made it to the bottom, she gave me a suffocating hug. I stuck my arm out to avoid my mask being crushed between us. After a few moments, my mom pulled away, leaving me nearly out of breath.

Dad rolled his eyes at Mom. "Veronica, you're going to kill the poor girl."

"She likes it!" Mom protested.

My dad laughed, then gave me a hug not as suffocating. "Is Sage still picking you up?" He inquired.

I nodded. "He'll be here soon."

"Is he bringing you home?"

My heart skipped a beat at her question. Did I forget to tell them I was staying at Matt's? _Flub!_ Would she allow me to? I hesitated a few moments, twiddling my thumbs nervously. "Um, actually…"

"Actually?"

"Well it's Matt's birthday tonight and he wanted me to stay at his place for the night because he won't be able to spend time with me at the dance and I want to give him his present, but it'd have to be at his house and—"

My mom laughed, cutting me off. "Daphne, it's fine."

I blinked at her. After a second her words registered, and I let out a sigh of relief. What was I so worried about? I forgot she loved when I was around him.

"Veronica!" Dad complained. She shot him a dark look that made him close his mouth.

"I trust you two, so it's not like I'm going to say no," she told me, smiling gently. "You're eighteen now too, so you can do whatever you want."

"Oh, um, thanks…"

She ruffled the top of my head. "Don't thank me. Just provide me with plenty of grandchildren—"

"Mom!"

"Daphne!"

"Veronica!"

"Henry!"

I flushed, scowling at her. "I-I'm too young right now!"

Dad shouted, agreeing with me, "She is too young right now!"

She ignored my dad, and cocked an eyebrow at me. "Right now? So you will later in life?"

"It's not like I don't want children," I mumbled, shifting on my feet uncomfortably. "Maybe after I'm done with college."

"That's a good idea," she responded, nodding her head. "You and Matt will make very cute babies."

Dad was turning pink.

I half-smiled at her. "Mom… If he ever heard you saying something like that, you might scare him away." It was nice she was so confident we'd still be together then, too.

"I'll make sure to keep it on the down low for a while… But when the time comes, I'll be dropping hints," she added with a wink.

Before I or Dad could respond, the doorbell rang. My mom basically flew to the door, wrenching it open excitedly. Sage was standing there, his dark hair damp and messy from the wind. "What's up, Veronica!" he greeted enthusiastically, pulling her into a bear hug. "You look as fine as ever!"

She giggled, pushing him away. "You're too kind, Sage."

I rolled my eyes. During my time in the hospital, somehow they'd created a surprisingly strong friendship— and apparently it didn't evaporate.

"Mr. Grimm! It's a pleasure to finally meet you!" Sage shook my dad's hand vigorously.

"You too. Veronica has told me a lot about you…" Dad trailed off, surprised at Sage's geniality.

"And of course, Daphne, you look as gorgeous as you did the first time I saw you in that dress!"

"You don't look half-bad either," I responded, eying him.

I wasn't lying. He looked exceptionally handsome in his black tuxedo. He resembled an adorable penguin— with brown hair. The sight of his deep pink tie resting around his neck and down his formally clad chest made me smile. Whether he planned on it or not, he'd chosen the same color as Ariana's dress.

Basil came down the stairs, looking tired. "What's all the commoti- _AH!_"

Sage scooped the screaming and flailing Basil into his arms and swung him around wildly. "Basil! I haven't seen you in such a long time, man!"

"WHO THE FUDGE ARE YOU?!" he wailed, clawing at Sage's tux. "Dad! Help me! He's going to rape me!"

Mom gasped. "Basil!"

Sage laughed, finally putting him down. He pinched Basil's cheeks. "You're cuter than I remember!"

"Who are you?" Basil said, slapping his arms away.

Sage looked like he was punched in the face. "What do you mean 'Who are you'? We had a snowball fight on Christmas remember? I ran over everyone with the snowmobile, remember?"

Basil looked mad. "You're the one who kept me off the basketball team for the rest of the season?! I had a broken leg for weeks, because of you-"

"Well you two have a great night," my mom started, pushing me towards the door. "Sage, have her back by midnight."

"She'll probably be _very_ busy by then—"

"Sage!" I cried, kicking him.

He winced. "Sorry."

My mom smirked. "Aw, Daphne. You're so cute."

I stared at her. "You sounded just like Matt…"

"You look horrified," Sage snickered, placing a hand on my shoulder. "Come on. I have to be there a little early."

"Bye Dad, Basil!" I called as he started pushing me through the door. "Bye Mom! I'll text you later!"

"Okay! Bye Daphne! Bye Sage!"

Sage turned to throw another quick grin to my mom. "Bye, Veronica, Mr. Grimm! And sorry for breaking your leg, Basil!"

My mom shut the door behind us as we hurried towards Sage's running Honda. Frigid air nipped at my exposed skin the whole way, causing goose bumps to appear across every inch. The warm air the vents in the car were blowing was a welcomed feeling as I slid into the passenger's seat. Sage appeared at the driver's side a few moments later, quickly shutting the door behind him.

"You should have put on a jacket," he told me reproachfully. "Matt won't be happy I let you leave in that skimpy dress."

"It's not skimpy!"

"For you it is."

I glowered at him. "What's that supposed to mean?"

He chuckled. "Don't get so offended, Daphne. I was only joking… sort of. I've never seen you show as much skin as you do in that dress."

"I don't generally wear dresses as everyday clothing. That might be why."

"True."

Silence settled in the car after that as we drove through the dark streets toward the school. I squirmed in my seat, feeling the antsy sensation I always felt before doing something exciting. Sage glanced at me, grinning again.

"Are teachers allowed to dance with students?"

I frowned. "I'm sure you can, but—"

"Good. I have to have a dance with Ariana."

"Sage—" I started but cut myself short. "Wait. Ariana?"

He nodded. "I promised her another dance at the wedding."

"Um, well, actually, she has a date," I told him slowly, watching him carefully to gauge his reaction.

His eyes snapped to mine. "What?"

"Yeah. She was asked last night."

"Who?" Sage demanded, his fists tightening on the steering wheel.

The corners of my lips twitched. Was he feeling jealous? "Jackson."

"You're kidding me!" he cried, turning to look at me fully. "Daphne! Did you tell her what Jackson tried?"

I shook my head. "No."

"There's no way she's going near him!"

"But Sage—"

"No buts!"

Biting my lip to keep from smiling, I decided to tell him my thoughts. "I agree with you. I don't trust Jackson around her either but… She was so happy to have a date, and Jackson actually isn't mean to her at all."

"Jackson's not a good person, Daphne."

"I know that—"

"No, you don't know."

I furrowed my eyebrows. "What do you mean?"

Sage pressed his lips into a tight line. "He's done a lot of things. I got to take a look at his criminal record today—"

"How?"

"It's on file with the school," he informed me. "That kid is a miscreant."

"What did he do?"

Sage gave me an apologetic look. "It's basically illegal to tell you, so I'm afraid I can't."

"I won't tell!"

"But you might blurt it out when you're angry," he replied simply. "I wasn't even supposed to see it."

I pouted at him. "But…"

"I'm going to keep an eye on Ariana tonight," he informed me. "I don't trust Jackson."

"Good idea," I agreed immediately, "but could you tell me a few of the things he did?"

"No. Although, I do want to disclose this bit of information to you because I'm finding him to be a bit hypocritical."

"Which is?"

Sage smirked. "You're not the only one interested in your teachers."

I blanked. "What?"

"You heard me."

A gasp left my lips. "No way! He had a relationship with his teacher? Ugh! That's so gross! He's such a hypocrite— Oh my god! I can't believe it!"

Sage chuckled at my reaction. "Calm down, Daphne. You can use this against him. But why did you say that was gross?"

"Cause the teacher is a woman!"

He gave me a curious look. "So?"

"It's just… It's weird."

"It's the same as you and Matt dating."

"No it's not," I responded flatly. "I can't believe that little hypocrite. He told me Anna had a relationship with _her_ teacher!"

Sage clicked his tongue. "That's true too."

My brain was beginning to hurt. How many lies did Jackson tell? What was the truth behind everything he'd said to me? Thinking about it made my blood boil. "Jackson… That arrogant jerk."

"It's a wonder how he and Anna are twins…"

"Sage, Anna is—"

He cut me off. "Not who you think she is."

"Oh yeah? Is that why she's taking Wendell as a date tonight?" I snapped at him.

He laughed. "Really, Daphne? It's a school dance. She can take a date."

"Sage!"

"Yeah, yeah, you're worried about me. Trust me, everything's okay."

"Don't be stupid."

He scoffed. "You're being stupid."

"No I'm not!"

"You don't know Anna, Daphne."

"I know enough!"

"Just because you don't like to flirt doesn't mean every other girl has to dislike it too. Girls flirt, Daphne. Even if they have a boyfriend."

I clenched my jaw. "Fine. Don't come crying to me when she breaks your heart."

Sage slammed on the car breaks, making me jolt forwards in my seat. "Don't worry about it. I can go to Ariana."

My eyes widened in disbelief. "Sage!"

"What?"

"That's my best friend you're talking about!" _Who happens to like you!_

"What about her?"

"You can't… You don't… What happened to you?" I snapped, narrowing my eyes at him. "Ever since Anna came you've become a… a love-struck fool!"

He rolled his eyes. "This again, Daphne? Is it a crime to like someone?"

"No, but—"

"Then drop it. We're at the school, come on. Let's head to the gym."

"Whatever," I muttered, pushing open the door. "I'm going ahead."

I'd only made it halfway through the parking lot when Sage grabbed my arm, pulling me to a stop. Turning my head, I gave him an annoyed look.

"Wait, Daphne. I don't want you to be mad at me. It's a dance, we should have fun tonight."

"I'm not angry," I lied— well it wasn't a total lie. I wasn't angry, just upset.

He gave me a flat look. "Yes you are. Give Anna a chance. She's really not that bad."

"She's leading both you and Wendell on. One of you will be crushed."

"Wendell?"

"She flirts with him all the time, Sage. He's not just a date."

He frowned. "She never mentions him…"

"What if she doesn't choose you, Sage?"

"Then that's that…"

I shook my head. "I don't want to see you hurt."

He bumped his hip into mine, sending me stumbling. "Don't worry, Daphne. I've got it handled. You should let it go… Otherwise, we'll have an argument like this every time we're alone together. I _like_ her, Daphne. It's not only because I think she's attractive."

Reluctantly, I did let it go. As much as I wanted to continue to reproach him about it, it wasn't like I could tell him who he liked and who he didn't like. Eventually he'd come around and see Anna for whom she was… Hopefully before she chose Wendell over him if that was the case— which I secretly hoped was. Ariana obviously liked Sage, and whether Sage knew it or not, he felt something for her too.

"So are we good?"

"We're good," I responded, offering him a sheepish smile. "I can't have you angry with me, anyway. I need you tonight."

He wagged his eyebrows. "Does Matt know about this?"

I rolled my eyes. "You know what I'm talking about."

"I do indeed," he responded with a laugh. "I can't wait to see his face."

"You can stay for a minute to see his face, but then you'll probably want to leave."

He winced. "Yeah. He might kill me if I stay."

"He probably would," I agreed, smiling in amusement. "By the way, Sage, what does your mask look like? I want to be able to find you."

A flash of amusement crossed his eyes. "Not telling you. You'll have to find me if you want to dance with me."

"I didn't say I wanted to—"

"Too bad. I get one dance with you."

"As long as you don't propose to me," I sighed, shaking my head.

He chuckled. "I don't need to. You didn't refuse last time I asked you."

"You proposed to me in front of everyone! I couldn't say no!"

"You didn't _want_ to say no," he corrected me.

"You guys are getting married?"

My hand shot out to grab Sage's arm as I jumped in shock. Twisting around, I came face-to-face with Jackson and Anna.

Jackson had an eyebrow cocked, a smug expression across his face. My eyes dropped down to his feet to survey his outfit. I wouldn't admit it, but he looked just as striking as Sage in a tuxedo. It was similar to Sage's, except Jackson was wearing a red tie. Which matched my dress perfectly. I resisted the urge to scowl.

Anna was wearing a light purple, strapless, layered dress. To my surprise it was longer than mine— I'd assumed she would wear a dress as short as she could without getting in trouble. My eyes returned to her flabbergasted face. She stared between Sage and me, her mouth dropping open. My eyes widened and I turned to Sage, who looked just as uncomfortable as me.

"You two are together?" Anna finally stated in disbelief.

I held my breath. It wasn't like we could deny it in front of Jackson. But Anna was with Sage…

"That's so cute!" she gushed, a smile spreading across her face. "Aw!"

Jackson turned to his sister, looking just as bewildered as I felt. "I thought you were dating Sage, Anna?"

She pulled her eyebrows together. "What? No. We're just friends. Right, Mr. Ross?"

Sage blanked. "What?"

"You told me you went on a date with him though," I pointed out slowly, looking at Sage nervously. Didn't he assume he was dating her? Why wasn't he saying anything?

"Dates as friends, silly," she told me. "I would never date another teacher. It's too risky. You two have to be careful."

"But…"

"Your Facebook says you're in a relationship," Jackson pointed out.

"Yeah. With Josh."

"*_Josh?_" Sage, Jackson, and I all cried in unison.

She blinked at us. "What?"

"I thought you were dating Sage!" I exclaimed.

"Why would you think that? Aren't you dating him? Sage's a good guy. He wouldn't cheat on you."

Jackson scowled. "Damn it."

I glanced at Sage. "But…"

He chuckled, shaking his head. "Yeah, Daphne. We're just friends. You don't need to look so worried."

"Sage…"

Anna grinned at him. "See? It's all good. I've got to go pick up my mask from my locker, so I'm going to head in. See you guys later!"

We all bid her adieu, watching as she slinked away toward the school building. A stunned silence lasted after her departure.

"And here I'd hoped Mr. Ross would be cheating on you, Daphne."

My eyes snapped to him. "Why would you want that?" I demanded angrily.

"Why not?"

"You—"

"Little brat," Sage interjected, moving toward him. "Leave Daphne alone."

Jackson smirked. "Ooh, angry?"

"I'll show you angry—"

"Sage! No!" I cried, grabbing onto him. "Don't touch him."

Jackson shook his head. "No, Daphne. Let him go. This way when he punches me it will be on camera… Although I still have a bruise…" He lifted the hair on his forehead to show us a nasty blue and purple bruise. "This should be enough evidence."

"Evidence of what?" Sage snapped.

"That you attacked me."

I glared at Jackson. "You spiked my drink!"

"Big deal."

"It is a big deal since you basically tried to rape me!"

"I'm not interested in seconds," he responded, rolling his eyes.

I scowled. "Just because your relationship didn't work out for you, doesn't mean mine won't!"

His face hardened and he took a menacing step toward me. "What are you talking about?"

"I know that you—"

"Daphne!"

I turned to Sage in surprise. "What?"

"Don't say another word."

"Tell me," Jackson growled, grabbing my arm. "What do you know?"

"Let go of her!" Sage demanded, yanking on Jackson's arm.

He gripped me tighter, making me wince. I didn't know whether to talk or not. Why wasn't Sage letting me say what I knew? Isn't that why he told me? So that I could use it against him? I tried to think of a reason why I couldn't tell Jackson…

"Ow!" I cried as Jackson clenched my arm tighter.

"Tell your boyfriend to let go of me and I'll let go of you."

"You let go of me first!" I cried, stomping on his foot. "Why are you so _violent?_"

Jackson abruptly let go of my arm. "Why not?"

"I…"

"You really piss me off, Daphne," he commented, jerking his arm out of Sage's grasp. "Stop acting like everything is so damn perfect for you."

I stared at him in confusion. "I don't—"

"I've got to go pick up Ariana, otherwise we'll be late. It's not nice to make a girl wait," he said, smiling sweetly. "Especially when such a fun night is in store."

"What are you planning?"

"Nothing," he responded innocently. "I'm just going to have a fun night."

Sage snorted. "Like your _fun_ with Daphne?"

He laughed, but didn't respond. Instead, he started walking off in the direction of the parking lot. I glared at his back, not realizing I'd been breathing more heavily than usual until he was gone.

"I hate that kid," Sage and I stated simultaneously.

The corners of his lips twitched. "I don't understand him. You're the nicest person on earth. Why does he hate you so much? He barely knows you!"

"I ask myself that every day."

"There must be something wrong with him," Sage mused, pulling his eyebrows together. "Maybe he was raised wrong? No, actually I feel like he might have anger problems."

"Road rage?" I joked.

He chuckled. "Probably."

"We have to keep an eye on him tonight," I declared, crossing my arms. "He might be nice to Ariana but…"

"Leave that all to me."

I hesitated a moment before speaking again. "I'm sorry, Sage."

He cocked an eyebrow. "For what?"

"Anna…"

"It's no problem," he said flatly. "I didn't realize she thought friends went on dates and kissed. You can say I told you so if you want."

I shook my head vehemently. "I don't want to! But maybe if you weren't pretending to date me it would have gone differently—"

"No, it probably wouldn't if she doesn't want another relationship with a teacher," he replied. "Maybe I should quit…"

I slapped his back. "No! You're a good gym teacher."

"Really?"

"A whole bunch of students like you! Including girls. You can find someone new to like."

"Like who?"

I smirked. "What about Ariana?"

He snorted. "She doesn't like me like that."

"Oh really?"

"Really."

"Oh and I bet you don't like her, huh?" I commented as casually as I could.

He gave me a crazy look. "What? No, I do like her."

"Then go for it!"

He rolled his eyes. "Daphne, honestly, I'm not that upset over Anna. I'm fine being single."

"You liar."

"How do you know?" he snapped.

I smiled, nodding toward his hands. "Well you're tense for one."

He shook his head. "Whatever. It's fine. She's a student anyway. I'd rather keep my job."

"It's okay," I told him, grabbing his clenched fist and opening it. "She wasn't worth it."

"Such a clichéd line…"

I laughed. "Come on, let's go in now. If we wait any longer everyone else will be showing up and you'll be late to being early."

"Sounds good," he responded, dragging me toward the building. "Let's make this a night to remember."

"Let's," I agreed.

* * *

**A/N. ***Josh, by the way, used to be Ariana's boyfriend in FTFT. So as you can see, Anna is jumping around _quite_ a lot. Poor Sage. Let's give Sage some luvin'. BUT THAT MEANS **Sage and Ariana** for the win! Sorry there was no Matt in this chapter, by the way. He's doing some…planning for the next chapter. ;)

The review replies took me an absolutely long time to do. It's 1,425 words in all (which is enough for ONE chapter…that would also be about 4 pages; this chapter was 12 in all!), so if there are any errors at all, you can't blame me. :D

Guest and A: Happy now? :D Hahah, I'm glad you guys really love this story enough to tell me to update! :D Thanks! I hope nobody was on their way to case me with pitch forks and torches. ;D

Kgirl (your 3 reviews) : Lol, no problem –just don't make it a habit. :D Yessiree, I have! I love it so so so so so much! If you go to Ch. 14, it says I'm the 300th reviewer of that story. :D Thanks so much! Haha, sorry about that! And MoA is completely amazing! That's okay, and yes, I'm not familiar with pregnancies (not really) so I'm sorry for making that mistake. :D Thanks, though!

Airene Archerway: YOU FINALLY REVIEWED. *ahem* So… Hahah, thanks! :D Oh, I liked writing that part, too, haha. :D You're ready to go back on a reviewing spree, huh? So where are the reviews? ;D Jk. You're probably busy, which is no problem! :D Thanks!

PsychoBrunette (all your reviews): Thanks so much! Hahaha, sleep is wonderful. :D WOW! Cool idea! Lol, Sage is my fave (hear the rhyme? Har har). DOES JACKSON LIKE DAPHNE? …I don't know, you'll have to find out. ;D Lol, that's actually not the reason, but I really like that guess! Anna is a good crazy (to me). Oh, lol, okay. Yup. Thanks! Hahah, I like Drunk!Daphne, too. :D Thanks! Hahah, we'll see. :D Hahaha, thanks! Yup, you're correct! You're sort of right about that. ;D Thanks! I like writing GFIs. :D Thanks! :D Lol, I can see that, too! Thanks! Sagetastic…nice ring to it! Wait…Matt and Sage as a couple? That would oddly work… Thanks! I'm glad you see it that way –I hadn't until you said so. Thanks!

Trikster Queen: *eating chicken leg* Understandable. LOL! Nice invention! I hadn't heard of those bracelets until recently either. Oops, yeah –thanks for finding that error! You don't know what it's about? Have you read any of the books of the new PJO series? Well, in MoA, Percabeth and Annabeth reunite…someone dies by lightning?...I don't remember anyone dying…Jason did strike Percy with lightning, but that was because he was being possessed…that river god didn't die by lightning….hmm, I'm not sure. :D

Curlscat: Lol, QotU. WOW. Very descriptive. You should turn that into a story because that was awesome. LOL. That actually made me laugh hard. I love your sarcasm. "How can you not have a desk for the Valentine's dance? That's just so unconventional! Everybody has one these days!" It's very hard. :D *smacks Daphne and Jackson* Happy? :D Thanks for finding those errors. Hahaha, it sort of is. Well what can they say, Finding Nemo is a very intriguing movie. Si. :D Oh yes, I hope I can write some of MY stuff soon. Science Fair is ALMOST over! Just this week and next, then BAM. Good bye. Sayonara. Aloha. Stresmas. Adios para siempre! I do owe you some story…-.-' Someone slap me. *Daphne and Jackson slap me for slapping them* You know you got me on a Winnie the Pooh high? I'm listening to my Winnie the Pooh playlist right now, and just last week, I watched all of my Lilo and Stitch movies (but you didn't have anything to do with that. :D)

Athena: Oh, cool! Sounds awesome! Yes, I'm perfectly okie-dokie. I was freaked out at first, but nothing's happened in the past month so I think I'm in the clear.

killer bunnies: Yeah…I don't like dying, but "In dying, we are born to eternal life." They do mess everything up. Haha, my class gets to watch movies before holiday vacations. So before we go on thanksgiving break, we're probably going to be cooped up in a classroom watching some movie for half of the day, then go home. Hahah, I can't wait to post it! Yessiree! AND IT'S AMAZINGGGG. Oooh, very creative!

PenguinLoverGurl: HOLY STYX STYX STYX STYX LEO LEO LEO LEO PERCABETH AAAAHHHH! AAAHHHH FOURTH ONE! That's okay. And thank you. Peace be with you also!

Athena: AAAAAGGGGGHHHH. SSSOOOO GGGGOOOOOODDDD. I cried at the end. Thanks! And actually, I was wrong –he wasn't a street away –he was two houses away. 'O.O,

Krystynn: Lol, I should do that...except that might be stealing Ayns and Sky's idea, so I probably can't do that, :3 But there will be a magical present sooner or later. :)

GrimmGirlLove: Aw, thanks! Lol. Oh, thanks -I think I finally fixed it, haha. Bye!

Alexandra Jackson rocks Hades: Cool! I'd totally love that -as long as there's no virus, haha!

PenguinLoverGurl: Lol. I don't know! :D Coolio. SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM! SPAM HIM WITH A SKILLET AND COOL THAT SPAM IN OIL AND EAT IT WITH RICE. *sigh* I'm still sort of mad about that, but I forgive you. :) Lol, naughty Matt. Lol, he so would...I can imagine Sage flying a helicopter full of liquid chocolate and dumping all over Matt's house saying, "LOVE YOU, BRO!" Oooh! Really? My friend tried -a probably different- bacon ice cream before; told me she didn't like it. The grocery guy? Lol. Thank you! Cupcake nom nom. Oh, totally. Juicers out score blenders by far. :)

Krystynn nli: Lol. I'm much too young to be hearing about sex at all and yet, my friends joke and talk about it like a normal thing. :) Thanks! Holy shiz, Shush! :D I probably need to give you some sort of prize...what would you like? :D

clarinet jazz: That's fine! Haha, I never get tired of comments -I practically devour them. :) Aww, thanks so much! By the way, not sure what chapter, but it was established that they were Jack and Jill. :) Hope I cleared that up. Thanks!

Animeforever: Thanks for your honest opinion. I know this story has a lot to live up to; yes the action will come soon (hopefully!). :) Again, thanks so much for telling me your likes and dislikes -it will really help me improve this story! Matt's kung fu will come back soon for sure!

Curlscat: One time, I'd like to get a chapter up on time. It's been months since we updated... It was adorable. My friends and I really liked the movie! Awww! That's adorable! Bagheera like The Jungle Book? Sorry if I'm wrong. I know! I'm sorry! *sigh* The thing about not writing most of this is that I miss a lot of differences. Thanks! Oh, I didn't know that, thanks!

Killer bunnies: Thanks! It is a long time! Thanks! Bahahaha, she should've. Strange, but entertaining friendship. Yeah, I messed up on that. :) lol, he probably did. Probably. Haha, I'm glad you liked it! :) Don't worry my friend- the time will come. :) thanks!

lovelylamb1999: Thanks! :D Glad you're caught up!

Laylaenchantix101: Sorry for confusing you! MOA WAS AMAZING! I NEVER READ THE EMERALD ATLAS BUT I SO WANT TO. Haha, thanks!

PRPLove: That's like the sweetest thing anyone's ever said! Being compared to Ayns and Sky...*moon eyes* Thanks so much! That was absolutely sweet of you to say!

Ri: Wow, that IS ironic. Aw, thanks! Really? So I have the same b-day as your mom, your brother, my teacher's mothers, Nial...Horran? Is that his last name, and...that's it. Haha.

Puckabrina-FAXfan: It's so much fun, man! Exactly. I need a Sage in my life. Hopefully in high school or something...

As White As Snow: Thanks! And I know -big mistake of me. -.-' Whoa, for a second I thought you wrote Noblesse oblige and completely freaked out (it was in an anime I watched :3)!

Broadwaymaterial: Haha, when my writing drastically improves, and when I get a good, unique, original, mind-blowing idea, then yes, I will plan out the whole book and sell. :) Thanks!

GrimmGurlLove: You perv. ;) Just kidding! WAH TANK YA MAH LEDEH BEK ET YA. Lol, that's okay. Thanks for the review!

Emowriter: Haha. :) ...That sounds awesome, you know. Lol, glad you enjoyed! Ouran's good! Though I have seen better. Lublublub- doobles! Hahahahaha! I actually laughed out loud. Daphmuch, lol... The Milkshake dancer thing is from when Daphne got drunk. She doesn't remember but Matt told her she sort of strip danced to the song Milkshake. :) You do seem more hyper than usual (I almost wrote "More Hershey's than usual"). I WANT A VOTING BUTTON STAT. Gosh, I've been looking through the SG section 24/7 -CANNOT FIND SOMETHING I REALLY REALLY LIKE BESIDES FROM PEOPLE I ALERT AND FAVORITE. Thanks! And bananas taste really good with Filipino food. :D

Welp. I don't know if I will be able to get a chapter out this weekend –I have ONE more Science Fair thing to do, and that is my board. I'm sorry about that, but it's a good thing this is my last year of SF –I am SO done with it.

Comments are appreciated! And if you would take the time to take a look at my "Don't Judge" multi-chapter-one-shot-poem-story-thingamajig, I'd love that. :D

See you all next_ next _week!

From,

The Tree and Citizen of Emerald City.


	20. Chapter 20: Notes

**Note: This was all written yesterday, so when I say or refer to "today" I mean yesterday. I was going to post but I got home at like 10 and passed out by 11. :) Happy Black Friday by the way!**

**A/N. **HAPPY THANKSGIVING! (And belated birthday to my now five year old cousin, Belay!)

I decided to update on this day (instead of before) because:  
A. It's Thanksgiving, yay!  
B. I have some really super-power-ninja-turbo-neo-ultra-hyper-mega-multi-alpha-meta-extra-über-prefix-combo news to share. :)

First off, I'd like to say that Science Fair is officially over and it seems like I'll have more time to upload, yay! I got 3rd place by the way, and I'm super super happy about it. My judge was my friend's dad, though, and when something like that happens, the outcomes is either absolutely amazing or absolutely horrible. I think it went really bad (from peeking at his grading sheet, I got a 3, 3, 4, 3, 3, and a 5 out of 5). But because there weren't many people in Physics, I think that's why I got 3rd. :3 I'm happy though. It's one up from last year!

**Second, QotU Winner: Everybody** because all of you have WONDERFUL tastes in books!  
**New QotU: What did you do for Thanksgiving?** I went to a Filipino party. But it was the boring kind where it's hosted at some kind of community club and everyone just _talks_…the only awesome part was when one of my friends was pushed into the pool by someone at the end. Gosh, she was soaked! :D

Third, you guys have been AMAZINGLY amazing people, and have been patient these past few months. I sometimes feel like I take you all for granted. :/ I feel I have favoritism over some reviewers and probably make others feel left out. And I know don't reply to all of you sometimes (and when I do, they're really short, and they don't really convey all the gratitude I'm trying to express).

So I just want to say on this Thanksgiving Day that **I'm really thankful to have you as friends and fans. **You guys have really shaped me to be the person I am these past...Three years? Wow. I enjoy all the favorites and alerts and comments that you guys take the time to give. They really mean a lot. They truly mean a lot to me, and I always get a warm feeling in my stomach and a giddy smile on my face when I see "So-and-So has favorite/alerted/commented [Insert Story or Person Here]." :D

Just this past year I've really come to realize that we have an ABSOLUTE LOT to be thankful for. Family. Friends. School. Food. Home. Love. Free Will. Hands. Feet. Minds. Hearts. Just...so much. So don't take things for granted, okay? Really cherish everything you have. Even when your siblings whine, when your parents scold...just be glad they can. :)

I hope that message came across.

Happy Thanksgiving and here's your chapter! I'm pretty sure Sage's awesomeness has increased by 199.9% after writing this. :)

* * *

_Chapter 20: Notes_

"Annabeth?"

I turned around as I felt a tap on my shoulder. Some guy in a blue and white glitter mask was standing there, his sea green eyes piercing into mine. After a moment I shook my head. "No, Daphne."

"Sorry," he apologized, raising a hand to scratch the back of his black haired head.

"No problem," I responded wearily. "You're not the only one looking for someone."

It was true. The dance had been going for half an hour now, and I had yet to find _anyone_— not even Sage or Ariana, and I knew what Ariana was wearing. I sighed, moving towards the back of the gym, keeping an eye out for anyone that looked familiar. Masquerades really weren't the best choice for school dances if you didn't arrive with your friends. It was incredibly difficult to locate anyone. I grinded my teeth together in irritation. Tonight was supposed to be a fun night, but how could it be fun if I was alone the whole time?

Much to my chagrin, the song blasting from the gigantic speakers at the front of the room changed from fast to slow. Couples began forming in the front of the room, making me feel more like an idiot. It was so depressing to stand out on a slow dance. My eyes wandered around the room again, looking at all the people not forming couples on the dance floor. To my surprise, there were quite a few— probably because no one could find their partners with these stupid masks…

"Daphne?"

My eyes snapped to my left, where a person I didn't recognize (surprise there) was standing, holding out a small white card to me. I took in the girl, who was wearing green sequined dress and silver mask, and realized I actually didn't know her. However, the card was addressed to me.

"Some guy told me to give this to you," she told me, pushing the envelope closer to me.

I took it immediately, recognizing Matt's refined handwriting. "Thanks. Do you remember what the guy was wearing?"

"I'm not supposed to tell you," she responded slowly, sounding unsure. "Sorry."

"It's fine," I said dismissively, pulling a small piece of paper out of the envelope. On it was a short note:

_I can see you. Can you see me?_

I frowned, looking back up again. The girl in green was gone, giving me a clear view of the area around me. If Matt could see me, that meant he wasn't hidden behind anything or anyone. My eyes scanned the crowds, but I couldn't find anyone that resembled him in the slightest. I looked back down at the card in my hand. How did he know who I was?

I blinked. Stupid question.

"That little sneak," I muttered, glancing down at the bangles on my arm. "So that's why he gave them to me during school…"

Ms. Dayscall walked by, her face unmasked. A scowl crossed my face. As it turned out, chaperones weren't supposed to wear masks, nor were they allowed to dance with students. Luckily, or unluckily in my case, Matt and Sage had both decided to still wear the masks. Or at least Sage did. Matt was either wearing one or was awesome at spying on me without being caught.

Suddenly my hand was yanked on and I found myself being dragged toward the dance floor. I glanced at the guy in front of me, my heart leaping into my throat. Disappointment washed through me when I stared at dark brown hair instead of Matt's light blonde hair. When the person turned around, I realized it was Daniel. He placed his hands on my waist, a grin crossing his face. "Care to dance?"

"A little late for that, huh?" I questioned, deciding to dance with him. It wasn't like Matt was trying too hard to dance with me and it beat standing along the wall alone.

He shrugged. "I wasn't sure if it was you or not, so I decided to just take the lead so in case it wasn't you it wouldn't be as awkward."

"How would that not have been awkward?"

"I don't know," he responded, smiling sheepishly again. "That doesn't matter though, since it _is_ you. Nice mask."

I grinned sheepishly. "It was kind of last minute. I couldn't find anything too exciting."

"At least it matches."

I made a face at the memory. At the store I went to, it'd been the only one that matched— a plain, boring, silver-sequined mask. It covered my entire face besides the top of my forehead and my mouth. I'd wanted a red one, but I wasn't the early bird, so I didn't get the worm.

"I thought you had a date though," Daniel commented, pulling me out of my reverie.

I furrowed my eyebrows. "Why'd you think that?"

He looked uncomfortable. "Um, Jackson."

"And who did he say my date was?"

"Er…"

"Daniel."

"Mr. Ross," he muttered quietly, as if he was ashamed. "He told me after school today."

My eyes widened. "_What?_"

"I don't believe it!" Daniel assured me, shaking his head. "It's just what he told me. He said you two were dating."

I grit my teeth. "Did he now?"

Daniel nodded. "I don't know why he thinks that though. I wouldn't worry about it. It's quite obvious you're here alone."

"Ah, thanks…"

"Oops. Sorry. Didn't mean that offensively."

I sighed. "It's fine. I'm not ashamed to admit I came alone." I didn't exactly have a choice…

"I'll dance with you all night if you want," Daniel offered with a sly look.

"Thanks for the offer, but Wendell will probably drag me away," I told him, smiling.

Daniel jerked his head to the right. "He's dancing with Anna though."

I turned my head in the direction he was looking and my gaze landed on Anna in her purple dress and Wendell, in a black tuxedo with a tie the same shade as her dress. For a brief moment my mind awed at how cute they were, but then I remembered Anna was dating Josh, and Wendell probably didn't know. Still, they looked cute together. They were as close as possible to each other, swaying to the slow tempo of the music. Anna was laughing about something while Wendell looked pleased with himself.

"Guess I won't be dancing with Wendell then," I commented slowly, tearing my eyes away from them. It was making me feel depressed. Wendell didn't deserve that…

"Guess you're stuck with me."

I forced a smile. As much as I didn't want to be stuck with him, I didn't want to be mean and say no. It was at moments such as this I wished Matt was a student instead of a teacher… Things would be so much easier.

"Daphne… You have something on your mask."

I stared at him. "What?"

He frowned, lifting a hand up to the top of my mask, producing a white envelope, much like the one I'd gotten earlier. I took it from him, dropping my arms in order to read it.

_Replacing me already?_

I crumpled up the note immediately, twisting my body around. Only masses of couples entered my field of vision. I turned back to Daniel, puffing out my cheeks. "Did you see who put that there?"

He shook his head. "No. What'd it say?"

"Umm, Ariana needs me to come talk to her for a second," I made up quickly, trying to keep my face straight. "I'll find you in a little bit, okay?"

"Sure," he replied, taking a step away from me. "I'm going to get a drink."

"Okay."

I slowly maneuvered myself through the dancing couples as I headed toward the far side of the gym. If Matt wasn't going to come to me, I was going to go up to every guy and find him. The first few guys I went up to were way too short to be him, and the next five guys were too fat. As I went through more and more high schoolers, I realized Matt had a very distinct build that no other guy at the school had, aside from Sage. Being in a gang really did have its advantages.

Without warning, a hand grabbed onto my shoulder, causing me to jump. A person in a black and white mask laughed at my reaction. It took me a few moments to recognize Sage's bright green eyes.

"What are you doing?" I demanded. "I thought you were keeping an eye on Ariana!"

"I am," he told me, pointing to our right. "She's dancing with Jackson right now."

True to his words, I spotted Ariana dancing with Jackson not even a few steps away. Annoyance spread through me at the sight. "Why didn't you stop them?"

"I can't," Sage responded flatly, sounding just as disgruntled as I felt. "I'm a teacher."

"But you don't look like one," I pointed out.

He clicked his tongue. "Whatever. Dance with me."

"What? Wait!" I cried as he yanked on my arm, pulling me to his chest. "I'm trying to find Matt!"

"He can wait," Sage stated simply. "Keep me company."

After a moment of grumbling I gave in to his pouting face and wrapped my arms around his neck. He grinned, placing his hands on my hips and pulling me even closer, if possible.

"What are you doing?" I demanded, uncomfortable with our proximity.

He didn't reply. I pursed my lips, but didn't decide to question him. Hopefully if Matt was watching, he'd step in, and I'd find out what he was wearing. If this was his form of riling me up, it was working.

Sage turned so now I was staring right at Ariana and Jackson. To my surprise, when I focused, Jackson was staring right at me, smirking. Narrowing my eyes, I gave him a hard look before looking away. So what if he saw me dancing with Sage? He already incorrectly thought we were dating.

The song ended in a blink of an eye and Sage dropped his arms, quickly glancing over my shoulder. The corners of his lips twitched up, as if he was resisting a smile. When I tried to turn to see what he was smiling at, he grabbed my shoulders, holding me still.

"What?" I inquired.

"Don't let Ariana see your face."

"Why…?"

His eyes twinkled in amusement. "I'm just gauging her reaction."

"You're teasing her aren't you?"

"No!" he cried mockingly. "Why would you think that?"

I rolled my eyes. "You're just like Matt. As a heads up, girls don't like teasing. It's really annoying. Especially when you wanted to dance with your boyfriend and he won't tell you where he is."

"You angry?" Sage questioned, cocking an eyebrow. "And you know you love it when Matt teases you. You enjoy it just as much as he enjoys doing it. Oh wait, that can be taken in two ways."

I flushed, scowling at him. "Lay off."

"You're so cute," he sighed, grabbing my cheeks and squeezing them. "Little, innocent Daphne with mature, experienced Matt."

I slapped his hands away. "Sorry for not being a prostitute!"

He chuckled. "I'm kidding, Daphne. It's fine that you're a virgin. Most seniors are."

"Just because I didn't lose my virginity at the age of sixteen—"

"Fifteen," Sage told me proudly.

I stared at him. "That's… gross."

"My girlfriend was eighteen—"

"I don't want to hear!" I cried, clapping my hands over my ears. Unfortunately it was too late. "Sage! Gah! That's disgusting."

He smirked. "What can I say? I was a lady's man."

"I'm going to find Matt."

Sage quickly grabbed my arm when I tried to walk away. "Wait! He told me to give you this."

A scowl crossed my face when I noticed the envelope in his hand. "When did he give you this?"

"When you were searching for him by those other guys."

"You had it the whole time?" I demanded.

He nodded. "I thought it could wait."

Ignoring Sage, I ripped open the card. Only five words were on it. _Look under the punch bowl_. Deciding not to say goodbye to Sage, I trudged over to the punch bowl and lifted it up. Another envelope was there. I sighed, picking it up. Was this some kind of game to amuse himself?

_Look on the poster in the hall_.

Guess so.

As I expected, on the poster in the hall was another envelope. I looked around nervously, afraid a teacher was going to come yell at me. Students weren't allowed to me out in the halls during the dance. I had a heck of a time just escaping their hawk eyes while exiting the gym.

_Boy's bathroom. Over the paper towel dispenser._

"Are you kidding me?" I muttered, going further down the hallway. "What is he thinking?"

I peeked into the boy's room before entering to make sure it was empty. On the paper towel dispenser was an envelope, a key, and a rose. A smile crossed my face as I picked up the rose. That was unexpected. Next I picked up the key, and finally the note card.

_Go out the door. Down the hallway, and go to the first locked door on the right. The floor's wet, so don't slip._

Rolling my eyes, I exited the bathroom, holding the flower and key to my chest, throwing out the note card as I went by the trashcan. I moved slowly, trailing my hand against the brick wall of the dead hallway. When I approached the first door, I tried it and found it open. Peeking in, I realized no one was in there. I continued on, going around the corner. From here I could hear the sound of the music from the gym, as these rooms were right behind it. As I closed in on the next door, my foot suddenly slipped out from under me. I cried out in surprise, grappling for the wall to keep myself stable. Fortunately for me, I was able to keep my balance.

Red-faced, I grasped the door handle, finding it locked. I jammed the key in, feeling frustrated with Matt's notes. I wanted to see _him_, not his handwriting. Pushing open the door, I found myself in a pitch-black room. The music sounded louder now, but muffled like I was in the backroom of a club.

"Wrong room?" I wondered out loud, my hand running across the wall closest to me for a light switch. I moved further into the room, trying to find it.

Abruptly the door slammed shut behind me, cutting off all source of light. My heart leapt into my throat and I spun around, trying to see in front of me. To my dismay, I couldn't even see three inches.

"Matt?" I whispered.

There was no response. I couldn't even hear the sound of breathing. My eyes widened when I realized someone had either closed the door from the inside, or the outside. The sound of someone breathing not even a foot away from me gave me my answer.

My heart nearly stopped beating when I felt a hand touch my cheek. "Mr. Firay?" I tried again, feeling annoyed, trying to provoke a reaction. If he was playing a joke on me…

"Try again."

Before I could respond, I felt a pair of lips against mine. At first I tried to push him away, terrified at the thought of who it could be, but after a few moments I returned the kiss, wrapping my arms around the person. Just as I was about to deepen in, he pushed me away.

"Do you randomly kiss strangers all the time?"

I scowled at the darkness. "Matt, you're the only person I've ever really kissed. You think I wouldn't recognize your… technique?"

A chuckle filled the room and a few seconds later light flooded it. I gasped in shock when my eyes landed on his face. He'd put his mask back on— his scary, long-nosed, bird mask. "What are you wearing?" I questioned, covering my mouth to stop from laughing.

He pulled the mask down again, smiling in amusement. "Something to keep all the unwanted ladies away."

"I'm sure it worked."

"It did. But I probably should have danced with at least two people…"

I smiled sheepishly. "Well you weren't around…"

"Now I am," he responded, moving his head closer to mine again. "It was fun watching you try to find me."

"Thanks for the rose," I said, ignoring his jibe.

He gave me a light kiss. "No problem."

"So why are we in the fitness?" I questioned, now taking in the treadmills and other fitness equipment.

"So we can do this."

He suddenly captured my lips with his, more roughly than I expected. Our lips mashed together painfully, making me wince. He became gentler when I started to protest, asking me for entrance into my mouth. I decided to refuse him at first, smirking as he quickly became impatient and nipped at my bottom lip. After allowing him access to my mouth, he quickly dominated me, not even giving me a chance to take the lead. I brought my hands up to his hair, running them through his soft mop. The idea he needed a haircut briefly popped into my head. I pulled away from the kiss a few seconds later, needing to breathe.

"You know, you really get into the kiss more when we're at school," Matt commented thoughtfully.

"I do?"

"Does the idea of being caught give you a thrill?"

I scoffed, ducking my head. "No."

"Yes it does."

"I don't want to be caught though," I told him, frowning. "Yeah, it gives me a thrill, but it also scares me."

He smiled, ruffling my hair. "Don't worry. We won't get caught."

"You don't know that for sure…"

He lifted my head up again, kissing me softly. "No, I don't," he responded honestly, his eyes piercing into mine. "To be honest, I really think it's a bad idea to even be near you in school. With the way you act, it's obvious you're in love with me—"

"Hey!"

"—And I'm in love with you," he finished boldly.

I blushed. "Oh."

"However, I don't like that idea, so I'm not going to stay away from you or not kiss you in school. It's too hard to resist."

"What if we're caught?"

He gave me a smug look. "Don't worry about it."

"What are you going to do?" I questioned warily.

"I said don't worry about it."

"You're going to do something stupid," I accused.

He rolled his eyes. "Shut up—"

"No!"

"Kiss me," he demanded, holding my face still.

"Mmph!" I cried, trying to talk through his kiss. I managed to push him away, much to his amusement. "Tell me."

He sighed. "We don't have to worry about it. We won't get caught."

"Matt… Please?" I begged, grabbing the edge of his suit jacket and tugging on it. "Tell me."

"Fine. I'll say I made the first move."

I blinked at him. "What? But that will get you fired."

"And keep you safe."

"But Matt—"

"But nothing," he said firmly. "I started it, so I'll take the blame. It's really no problem."

I shook my head. "But—"

"Listen, if that ever happened, I can handle it. However, since it won't happen, we don't have to worry."

"How can you be so confident?" I mumbled, dropping my gaze.

"So I can ease your worries," he answered with a chuckle. "Listen. It's your favorite song."

I cocked my head, tuning in on the music from the gym. A smile crossed my face when I realized it was Hero by Enrique Iglesias. While in the hospital, that song had played on the radio, and Sage had mentioned how much it reminded him of what happened with Bryant. How Matt was my "hero". At the time I'd been flustered and denied it vehemently, but Sage had somehow gotten me to admit that in some way it did remind me of us. Which of course, he'd blabbed to Matt.

Matt held out his hand. "Would you dance, if I asked you to dance?"

Smiling even wider, I accepted, putting my hand into his. He moved me closer, our bodies matching each other's much better than Sage's and mine. After keeping eye contact with him for a few moments as he swayed us back and forth, I finally lost my confidence and dropped my gaze, deciding to rest my chin on his shoulder instead. We were silent for a few moments, moving back and forth to the tempo. Each line from the song sent more memories into my head— Starting with the first time I'd "saved" him from the alleyway, to the time at the fair, to the time where he'd been hit with a shovel… I winced at the memory. It was one of those rare moments in my life when I'd been so terrified to the point I couldn't move.

"Remember that time Bryant told me he had you?" Matt murmured, as if reading my thoughts.

"And you stupidly went even though you weren't sure," I responded, squeezing my arms around him tighter. "And I thought he shot Sage…"

"And you were randomly in your underwear when I came to."

"And you kissed me even though I was underage."

He chuckled. "I couldn't help myself. I kept thinking that if something had happened to you, I wouldn't have had the chance to kiss you."

I laughed through my nose. "Good reason."

"This song brings back a lot of memories huh?" he questioned, pulling away slightly so he could look at me. "However, you would be the hero, I think."

"I would?"

He nodded. "You were always the one that managed to help _me _out."

"Except when I got stabbed," I muttered, glancing at my scarred midriff. "That was smooth. You got shot too."

His face tightened. "I prefer not to remember that."

"Sorry," I apologized quickly, staring at him in surprise. "I—"

"I suppose I would kind of be the hero in that part," he cut me off, looking relaxed again. "Maybe I can be the hero in the last chorus."

I chuckled at his attempt to make me feel better. "You always have to take the best part."

"You bet."

Rolling my eyes, I stood on my tiptoes in order to kiss him. His gaze softened and he dragged me closer to him again, mashing my face into his shoulder. I muffled my protest, but he ignored it, rocking me faster than the tempo the song was going.

"I love you, Daphne."

My reply was incoherent. He chuckled, allowing me to pull away finally. "I love you too," I stated, puffing my cheeks at him.

"Tonight—"

A loud pounding on the door cut him off, causing me to start. My hands formed fists in annoyance. If I was any more jumpy, the school bell was going to give me a heart attack one day. After my immediate displeasure subsided, panic settled in when I realized that the pounding met someone might come into the room.

"Daphne? Are you in there?"

My shoulders sagged when I realized it was Wendell. "Yeah, come in."

Matt threw me a warning look, quickly ducking behind a pile of gymnastic mats. I realized my mistake too late as the door opened. Relief flooded through me when I realized it was only Wendell. It was a good thing no one else was with him. When I took in his expression, my body tensed.

"What's wrong?"

"Fight," he panted, grabbing my arm. "Hurry. Where's Firay?"

"Here," Matt said, stepping out from the maps.

Wendell threw him a bewildered look but quickly shook it off. "Hurry! Sage is going to kill Jackson!"

"What? Why?" I demanded, hastening after him.

"I don't know! I just walked into the hall to get a drink from the fountain because I don't like the punch they have and I couldn't really find anything else—"

"Get to the point," Matt interjected.

Wendell gave him an annoyed look. "Anyway, Sage and Jackson were throwing punches at each other."

"Was there any one else around?" Matt demanded.

Wendell shook his head. "No, besides Ariana. I came to find Daphne as fast as I could."

"Why me?" I questioned, furrowing my eyebrows.

"Because I knew you'd be with _him_."

I laughed sheepishly. "Oh…"

"This way," he ordered, turning the whole toward the science wing. "You know, the science wing has the best water."

As we grew closer to the fountain, I heard the sound of Ariana shouting. Running faster, I rounded the corner just in time to see Jackson throwing a punch right in Sage's face. I stopped short, surprised at the sight. Matt bolted by me, immediately grabbing Jackson by the cuff of his suit, yanking him away from his best friend. Sage glared angrily, wiping blood off of his face with his sleeve. I moved toward him, my mouth open in horror.

Jackson tried to slam Matt in the face, but Matt quickly grabbed his arm, twisting it around his back. "Cut the shit."

"Let go of me," Jackson demanded angrily.

"Don't let go of him!" Sage ordered, clenching his fists. "I'm not finished."

I stepped between him and the other two men, placing my hands on his chest. "Yes you are! Sage! You can't punch students! You're going to get in a crap load of trouble!"

"He punched me back!"

"Sage!"

Jackson snorted from behind me. "What are you Daphne, his master? What a poor excuse for a guy."

"Shut up," I snapped, turning my head to glare at him.

"Scary."

"Shut up," Matt repeated more forcefully. "I want you out of this dance before I report you."

Jackson snickered. "Report me?"

"Who do you think here, as a witness, will claim you started the fight?"

There was silence and I smirked. _Smart thinking, Matt_.

"I have to drive Anna home."

"I've got it," Wendell snapped.

"Ariana…"

"I'll go with Sage," she said, finally speaking up.

I glanced at her, now registering her tear stained face. It was red too, as if someone slapped her… "What did you do?" I questioned sharply.

"He hit her," Sage spat.

"Get out of here," Matt ordered, shoving Jackson away. "If I catch you going back to that dance you can expect suspension."

Jackson rolled his eyes. "Whatever. I'll see you later, Daphne. We should go see a movie this weekend."

"I don't think so," I said, narrowing my eyes.

"We'll see."

I bit my lip to keep from swearing at him. I didn't like the sound of his voice. It was as if he had something huge he could hold over my head…

"Are you okay?" Wendell asked, looking concerned.

Sage moved toward Ariana. "Sorry I didn't make it sooner. When you guys disappeared I had to fight my way through the students dancing."

"I'm fine," she responded, sounding tired. "I just didn't expect him to be so angry…"

I went to her as well, clenching my jaw. "What happened?"

"He was asking me all these questions about you, and Sage, and Mr. Firay, too. I wasn't answering any of them, so he got angry. Then he randomly slapped me… Did you know he thinks you and Sage are dating?"

I gave her a weary look. "Yeah, I'm aware… We all are."

She laughed. "That's funny."

Sage shook his head, placing a hand on his shoulder. "Want me to give you a ride home?"

She pursed her lips. "Not yet."

"Why not?"

"I haven't got to dance with anyone besides him. He's like an overprotective watch dog."

"That hurts his owner?" Matt interjected, looking far more angry than anyone else.

I blinked at him in surprise. "Are you okay, Matt?"

"Fine," he responded tersely.

"Come on," Sage said, holding out his hand to Ariana. "I still owe you the dance from the wedding. We'll dance then go home, okay?"

She looked hesitant. "You sure you won't punch me?"

"You…"

"Kidding," she chirped, taking his hand. "Sounds like a deal. Daphne, are you…?"

I glanced towards Matt. Ariana understood immediately, dragging Sage away. "Before we go back in the gym, let's get the blood off your face…" Wendell told us he was going to find Anna not long after, and bid us adieu.

I watched them go, letting out a long breath. "That scared me…"

Matt made a noncommittal grunt.

"Are you okay?"

"We need to do something about Jackson," he told me, folding his arms across his chest. "What if he snaps at you and really hurts you?"

I held up my hands. "I can take care of myself."

"No you can't."

I glowered at him. "Actually, I can."

"No, you can't," he restated forcefully. "Remember the night of the party?"

"I was drunk!"

He ran a hand through his hair. "Fine. Whatever. Just be careful when you're near him. When you're with him, let me know."

"Matt…"

"I hate that kid," he declared flatly. "He's dangerous. After all the gang shit, I was hoping we wouldn't have to worry about danger again."

"Well, then our relationship would be boring," I joked.

He stared at me emotionlessly for a few seconds, before the corners of his lips turned up. "You always make the best out of every situation, don't you?"

I nodded, making my face serious. "It's like a full time job with you. Every time I'm with you things just suck so much I have to think of at least something good that's come out of it."

"Which would be?"

"A good Home Ec grade?"

He snorted, thrown off guard by my answer. Recomposing himself, he took a strand of my hair and tugged on it, stepping closer to me again. "You're still almost failing, you know."

"I know," I grumbled, my eyes focusing on his lips.

"My eyes are up here, you know."

I flushed, my eyes shooting up to meet his blue ones. "My bad…"

"Hey, you two!"

I jumped violently and Matt quickly let go of my hair, taking a step away. I shook my fist at the ground. The world really was trying to kill me! I was going to have a heart attack any day!

"Ah, Ms. Dayscall," Matt started, using his smooth, suave voice. "I found Ms. Grimm out here wandering the halls."

Ms. Dayscall pursed her lips at me. "You know you're not allowed to be out here, Daphne."

"I was just bringing her back," Matt told her, putting a hand on my back and pushing me forward. "I thought she might have been meeting with a secret boyfriend, or something."

Ms. Dayscall cocked an eyebrow while I tried to keep my face composed. After a few more moments she shrugged, turning around. "I didn't realize people still kept their relationships a secret in high school, with the way they all make out in the hallway all the time…"

Matt and I exchanged glances before grinning widely. She had no idea.

* * *

**A/N.** Replies:

(Ch. 19; 8) Aqua Cahill: You're smart! :D; Yessiree! Happy Thanksgiving!

(Ch. 19) creamychocpudding786: Thank you so much! That really means a lot to me. :) Happy Thanksgiving!

(Ch. 19; 17; 14; 12; 11; 9; 8; 4) foxface333ChocolateLabrador: Heehee, thanks! Oh, MoA was frickin' awesome. Seriously. Ahhh... Ooh, nice choice. Haven't read because it's not in my library, but I will try to get it! :); Haha, it was and thanks! :D Lol, thanks!; They are. :) Haha, thanks! Lol, no problem! Lol, I love all those titles especially Lady and the Tramp. :); Thanks so much! Haha, the stress is absolutely horrible. D:; Lol, thanks! And they aren't so bad once you get used to them. :) Thanks!; Don't be nervous, you'll find out soon! :D; Yessiree! Ice Age is awesome. Ehh, not a big Twilight fan. :3 AGH. I want to see Skyfall! And you are correct! :); Lol, good choice! Thanks so much for the wonderful comments; happy thanksgiving!

(Ch. 19) Krys and Mel: That's okay. :) As long as I get some type of feedback, I'm happy. :D Thanks! I promise I will try not to! :) And happy Thanksgiving!

(Ch. 19) PRPLove: Thanks! :D Happy Thanksgiving!

(Ch. 19) emowriter: Lol. LOL. I remember that superhero thing! And Daphne was Drunk Daphne right? XD Cool! Yerp, Anna's not cool. :) A lot of things. Thanks for restraining the urge to read ASR -that absolutely means so much to me. :) Lol, I love this Veronica I've created. :D Lol, WATCH EDEN OF THE EAST! It's so fudging good, man...

(Ch. 19) killer bunnies: Lol, can I have a hug instead? Veronica is one of the graviest. Lol. Hahah, poor Sage. :) Can anyone find Wendell...somebody to...love? :D Jackson is quite stupid. OOOH! I saw that book at my Science Fair! That's a good book. :) Thanks! Happy Thanksgiving!

(Ch. 19) Laylaenchantix101: IT WAS THE BOMB. That's some pretty big thinking. :) THAT sounds like an awesome book. :) I want to read it. Lol, thanks! I like making people laugh! Lol, thanks, Happy Thanksgiving!

(Ch. 19) As White As Snow: I've been one for a while. :) Haha, all from me! Lol, thanks! Happy Thanksgiving!

(Ch. 19) clarinet jazz: No problem! And thank YOU, that really means a lot to me! Happy Thanksgiving!

(Ch. 19) Alexandra Jackson rocks Hades: Um, it never sent. :) You have to space it out or else FF won't send it. :) Ooh! What anime? Happy Thanksgiving!

(Ch. 19) GrimmGirlLove: Lol, thanks! WAH TANK YA MAH LEDEH BEK ET YA. Mark of Athena...aaaaaaahhhhh...I loved all those parts. But my favorite has got to be when Leo and Hazel meet Echo and Narcissus. I absolutely could not stop laughing at: "I'm the Super-sized McShizzle, man!" Leo said. "I'm Leo Valdez, bad boy supreme. And the ladies _love_ a bad boy." Happy Thanksgiving!

Has anyone perchance been on a ship called "The World"? It's a ship that –like its name says- goes around the world. My mom's old high school friend works there, so we got to tour it for free (but it's like millions of dollars to vacation there!) today. So my mom's friend gave us a tour, and it was really cool because a lot of the workers were Filipino. But there was also a really nice Australian lady and a French guy…I think he was French… There was also this really sweet lady that talked to us. We had no idea she was a billionaire until she said she LIVED on the ship. We were all like O_O MEEEP. But it was awesome –there were lots and lots and lots of pianos and they had a Wii and indoor pool and everything... Agh, I love it. I want to vacation there, but it's so expensive…:D Wistful thinking, eh? :D

I hope you all had/have an enjoyable Thanksgiving and weekend! See you guys soon!

-Lara


	21. Chapter 21: Birthday

**A/N.** Salutations!

My brother just had his first reconciliation, so I needed to rush to get the chapter ready after. Sorry for any errors!

QotU Winners: **Aqua Cahill** and **As White As Snow**. Two winners because I forgot that Thanksgiving isn't celebrated everywhere. (Lol, random: I saw this on iFunny: Why is Hungary hungry when it's so close to Turkey and Greece?) :) Thanks to all who were kind enough to share their Thanksgiving (or not Thanksgiving) experiences! :D

New QotU: **Have you ever had that experience where you see a friend/classmate/family member in the oddest of places? Or coincidentally?**

Wow! We've recently reached **450 reviews**! That's Pucktastical! And that means...we have a 444th reviewer! Yes! I love the number four!

**444th** Reviewer: **Curlscat**! Yaay! Man, you always review at the best of times. Didn't you win something else a while ago? :) You can have the four spoiler questions or something else if you'd like. :D

Not much to say about my life except that I have Midterms coming up (HOORAY! I'm such a nerd because I mean it). And that **I like beef jerky**. :)

Kudos to my wonderful friend, ANannyMouse, who recently came back to FanFiction! This chapter is dedicated to you. ;D

Enjoy!

* * *

_Chapter 21: Birthday_

"So I'm just going to drop Ariana off and then swing by my house to pick up the present before heading over to Matt's, okay?"

I nodded my head, keeping my eyes on the ground as I swept up the empty, plastic cups the lazy students had dropped on the ground instead of throwing into a trashcan. Matt was on the other side of the room helping Daniel take down some streamers, but I didn't want any chance of him over hearing us. Sage sauntered away, pretending like he hadn't just murmured that question to me.

"Are you and Sage planning something?

My eyes shot up, landing on Ariana's face. "Er… Maybe."

She smirked. "Is it about Matt's birthday present?"

"Yeah," I admitted quietly, quickly glancing at Matt, who was standing on his tiptoes on a stepladder to reach a long, blue streamer. "I'll tell you how it went tomorrow."

"I want to know now," she complained, pouting.

I rolled my eyes at her. "Too bad. Help me pick up these cups."

She grumbled, bending over to scoop up an armful of them. "Gross! It's sticky and wet!"

"That's what she said!" Sage shouted from across the gym, causing all the girls in the vicinity to giggle and a couple of the boys to smirk.

Ariana's head snapped in the direction of his voice and she stuck her tongue out at him childishly. "How did you even hear that?"

"He's Batman," I told her seriously. She laughed. "And you're Jane," I added with a wink.

"Daphne… That's Superman."

I furrowed my eyebrows. "It is?"

"I believe it is Peter Pan and Tarzan too," a new voice commented thoughtfully from behind us.

Ariana turned her head, grinning sheepishly at the person behind me. My head whipped to the other side of the gym, where Matt was Daniel a few minutes before— now it was just Daniel. Looking over my shoulder, I noticed he was now behind me. "How'd you get over here so fast?"

He grinned. "If Sage's Batman, then I'm Superman."

"Does Superman have super speed?" Ariana wondered out loud.

"I think he does," Matt responded, his grin faltering. "Does he? I never really paid attention to the comics."

"Really? I pinned your younger self as a nerd," I deadpanned, causing Ariana to laugh again.

Matt rolled his eyes. "I was a bad ass player when I was younger, Ms. Grimm."

"Mr. Firay!" a scolding voice cried. Moments later Ms. Dayscall appeared, giving him a disapproving look. "Language!"

He sent her an alluring look. "Of course, Lisa," he responded suavely.

She gawked at him for a few moments before closing her mouth and walking away with a light blush on her cheeks. I pretended to gag, sticking a finger into my mouth. Matt flicked my forehead before moving away to help a couple of girls lift one of the food tables.

"Mr. Firay is really attractive," Ariana sighed wistfully.

I frowned at her. "Hey."

"It's true," she pressed, pursing her lips at me. "He's so charming."

"He's charming when he wants to be," I corrected her, bending over to pick up more cups. "Most of the time he's arrogant."

She smiled. "I bet you know more sides of him than that."

I paused for a second, a few different sides of Matt flashing through my mind—

Angry Matt, upset Matt, worried Matt, confident Matt, cocky Matt… The list could go on forever. "I know a few," I admitted finally, heading towards the trash.

"You're a lucky girl, you know that?"

"I know," I responded with a laugh. "I mean, look at him, and look at me…"

"You're a perfect match."

I glanced at Ariana, cocking an eyebrow. "What?"

"You two are like, complete opposites. Except you're both stunning," she said quickly. "I was talking about personalities."

Shrugging, I headed over to the other side of the gym, Ariana following right behind me. "I guess we get along pretty well."

She snorted. "Pretty well? Even if Mr. Firay was at one side of the school and you were at the other, I could feel the chemistry."

"That's overdramatic," I told her, smiling despite myself. "And cheesy. Real cheesy."

"I wish I had a boyfriend like that."

I nudged her in the side. "Go get one."

"I don't like anyone."

I gave her a flat look.

A sheepish smile crossed her face. "Okay, yeah. But he's—"

"Perfect for you," I urged, giving her a serious look. "You should try it."

"Isn't he with Anna?"

I shook my head. "Anna is with Josh."

Her face blanked. "What?"

"I, er…" Maybe I shouldn't have said that… It'd slipped my mind Josh was Ariana's ex. I gave her an apologetic look. "Yeah, I guess they've been dating for a while."

"Oh," she responded casually. "That's cool I guess."

"He totally downgraded."

Ariana laughed, shoving my shoulder. "You're just saying that."

"What I am saying is to try it with Sage. Matt says you guys shouldn't date, but I say otherwise. He definitely likes you."

"He's a teacher…"

"You pressured me to get with Matt."

"You're different."

"No I'm not. And Sage is closer to our age than Matt is, too."

She pressed her lips together, her eyes straying to where Sage was struggling to lift one of the gigantic speakers off the stage by himself. "I don't know…"

I shoved Ariana in that direction. "Well while you think, go help him."

After sending me an exasperated look, she jogged toward him, telling him to wait for her to help him. I sighed quietly, throwing the last of the plastic cups into the waste bin. The gym was almost cleaned up; only a few tables were left and the speakers. After that I had to wait until Matt got his keys and jacket from his classroom before leaving for his house. Excitement bubbled up in me at the thought. I couldn't wait to see his face when I gave him his birthday present…

"_Psst_, Daphne."

Pulling myself from my thoughts, I turned to see the devil gesturing me toward the gym exit. He then disappeared from my view after pressing a finger to his lips. Surreptitiously, I wandered toward the exit, slipping out when no one was looking. A hand immediately enveloped my own and I was tugged down the hall, toward the science wing.

"Where are we going?" I whispered, taking a few long steps to catch up to Matt.

"We're sneaking out of here," he told me with a grin. "Sage will cover for us if anyone asks. Let me just grab my jacket."

Together we hurried to his classroom to gather his belongings. After a five second fight about whom should wear his jacket, he finally forced it on me, and yanked me out of the school building. Fortunately, he parked close to the building so the walk in the winter air was short. As soon as we were in his car, he flipped on the heat, turning it to full blast. It blew cold air for a few moments until he pulled out of the parking lot; the car finally heated enough for it to blow warm air.

"Do you want to pick up Chinese or have it delivered?" he asked, glancing at me.

"Let's have it delivered," I said casually, trying to contain the excitement inside me. "I don't want to wait at the Chinese place in this dress."

He laughed. "Good point."

I flipped on the radio, covering the silence that had settled in the car. Matt took my hand in his free one, placing them both down between us. I squirmed in my seat, wishing he'd drive a little faster. Any longer and I'd burst of exhilaration. When the thought that I still had to wait for Sage to arrive passed my mind, my shoulders sagged. He'd better hurry.

"Why are you antsy?" Matt inquired, cocking an eyebrow.

"I'm hungry," I lied.

"Right," he responded, sounding dubious.

When we arrived at his apartment complex I literally hopped out of the car, tugging Matt toward his place. He chuckled in amusement as he easily kept up with my pace. I stopped in front of his door, waiting for him to take out his keys and unlock it. It took him an agonizingly long time just to dig them out of his slacks and an even longer time to find the right one. He'd tried at least seven keys before I finally snatched them out of his hand and found the right one.

"I really want to know why you're so anxious," he commented as I shoved him inside.

"I'm _starving_," I told him forcefully, putting a hand on my stomach. "I think I might die…"

Once again, he looked skeptical. "I'm worried now."

"I won't really die!"

He rolled his eyes. "Not about that, Daphne."

"Go order the Chinese," I ordered, shooing him away with my hands before he could pry. He was good at making me spill things. "I want pork fried rice and boneless spare ribs."

For a moment he pursed his lips at me but then sighed, moving into the living room to grab the phone. My eyes swept over the apartment, my mind working to figure out where everything Sage and I had gotten him would go.

"Daphne? What movie do you want to watch?"

I ambled into the living room, watching as he went through his abnormally large collection of movies. "Umm, I don't know."

"We can choose something On Demand," he informed me, pulling out a movie from the case. "I just bought Marley and Me, too. I figured you'd like it. Do you want to watch that?"

"No!" I cried quickly— too quickly.

He gave me a suspicious look. "Why not?"

My mind raced, trying to think of a good response. I was going to give myself away if I wasn't careful! What were the chances he'd pick that movie? "Um, I don't like the ending of that movie… It makes me cry."

"You cry a lot in movies," he pointed out.

I flushed, dropping my gaze. "I do not… It's different with that movie. Marley's an animal."

He chuckled. "Fine, fine. We'll choose something off the T.V. I'm going to change out of my suit… Do you need pajamas?"

"Yeah." I really didn't, but I wanted to wear his clothes.

He went into his bedroom and I followed after him, waiting as he dug through his dresser. After a moment he tossed me a pair of pajama bottoms. "I'll find you a shirt in a moment."

"I'll just wear a tank top," I told him. "It's hot in here."

"Sure," he responded, pulling out a pair of pajama bottoms for himself. "I'll go shirtless."

I rolled my eyes at him. "Wear a shirt."

He chuckled. "Fine. But only because the Chinese hasn't arrived yet."

He proceeded to undress in front of me, swiftly taking off his suit jacket and dress shirt. I gazed at his bare chest, taking in his chiseled features. He had such a great body, and yet he never showed it off. When my eyes finally left his chest I found him staring at me smugly.

"Were you checking me out?"

"No!" I denied, blushing.

He smirked, tugging at the waistband of his slacks. "I'm going to take off my pants now…"

Keeping my blush under control, I stared at him determinedly. "Trying to get rid of me? Are you afraid to take off your pants in front of me?"

"Nope," he responded, dropping his pants.

I didn't have time to look away. He laughed at my expression as he pulled on his pajama bottoms. "I wish I could take a picture of your face right now."

I tried to wipe off any expression on my face. "W-what expression?"

"You're embarrassed one."

"I've seen you in a swim suit," I pointed out. "That's the same as boxers."

He shrugged. "I guess. Are you going to change?"

"I need to go get my tank top," I informed him. "And, um… Could you possibly, um, unzip me?"

He nodded, gesturing for me to come to him. "Of course."

I moved so that I was standing in front of him. Holding up my hair with my hand so it wouldn't be in the way, I waited for him to unzip my zipper.

"I don't see why all you girls wear dresses so tight," he commented as I felt him began to tug the zipper down. "How do you even get this zipped up?"

"With help," I admitted, breathing more easily. "Ouch!" I hissed as the zipper caught my skin.

"Sorry," Matt muttered, quickly pulling it the rest of the way down. "I'm not good at this…"

Without any warning, I felt his fingers brush the spot where the zipper had caught me. I jumped at the feeling of his cold fingers touching my warm back. He chuckled, retracting his finger. "Want me to kiss it better?"

I glanced over my shoulder at him. "You want to kiss my back?"

"Sure," he responded. "You have really soft skin." He lightly trailed his hand from the top of my neck to the small of my back.

Stepping away from him, I turned to face him with a smirk. "Maybe one day."

He rolled his eyes. "I didn't want to anyway. I'd much rather kiss your lips."

Before I could protest, he had my face in his hands, and his lips on my lips. I pulled his hands off my face, placing them on my hips instead as I pushed myself closer to him. After not being able to be near him during the rest of the dance and the clean-up, kissing him felt relieving. I tangled my hands in his hair as he slipped his cold hands under my dress to massage the small of my back. I squirmed under his touch, pulling away to give him a scolding look. "Your hands are cold!"

"So?"

"I…"

He chuckled. "Fine. I'll wait for my hand to warm up before I touch you again."

I rolled my eyes at him as we made our way back into the living room. I quickly grabbed my tank top from my bag, dropping my dress to the ground, relieved that I didn't have to wear the constricting gown anymore. As I raised my arms to put the tank top on, my eyes landed on Matt, who was cocking an eyebrow at me. I blushed, pulling his pajama bottoms over my chest. "Hey!"

"Did you forget I was here?"

"S-shut up!" I demanded, swiftly pulling on my tank top and then his pajama bottoms.

He chuckled, taking my hand and leading me to the couch. Together we sat down, Matt pulling me as close to him as possible. I tried to keep myself still, but I still had the jitters. As he went through the hundreds of movies to choose from, I jiggled my foot, waiting for the knock on the door that would announce Sage's arrival.

"Horror, action, or romance, Daphne?"

"Horror," I responded absentmindedly.

He smirked. "Horror it is."

My choice registered in my head and my eyes widened. "Wait! No! Romance!"

"Too late now," he told me. "You choose horror."

"Matt!"

He hummed tauntingly, ignoring my protest. "Okay… I heard Paranormal Activity was lame, so we won't watch that."

I scowled at him. "Jerk."

"I'll choose something that won't give you nightmares," he told me teasingly. "How about White Noise."

"Whatever," I responded glumly.

He chuckled, resting his chin on my shoulder. "It's not that scary, I promise."

After shutting off the lights and resettling ourselves on the couch, he started the movie. As each minute passed, my impatience grew. Where was Sage? How long did it take to clean up the gym? There wasn't that much left to do! Contrary to Matt's promise, the movie was actually scary, even though nothing scary had actually happened.

"If I died would you try contact me?" he murmured, his gaze never leaving the television.

"Of course," I responded at once. "I don't want you to die though."

He laughed through his nose. "I don't exactly want to die either."

The doorbell suddenly rang, causing me to jump. Matt laughed again, this time out loud. After glowering at him for a second, I made a break for the door, my heartbeat increasing ten-fold. _Finally_.

When an old, Asian man entered my field of vision after I winged open the door, my heart sunk into my stomach. That definitely wasn't Sage.

"Twenty-seven, fifty-three," the Asian man told me, his accent falling heavily on his words.

"Umm…"

"I've got it," Matt said, appearing at my side and handing the man thirty dollars. "Keep the change."

The Asian man grinned, handing him the paper bag in his other hand. "Yes, thank you. Have nice night."

My shoulders sagged as the man tromped away. Matt went into the kitchen to find plates for our food. Just as I was about to shut the door, I heard someone call my name. My heart jump-started again and I stepped into the hall to see Sage jogging toward me, his arms full of wrapped presents. An excited smile crossed my face as I gestured toward him rapidly.

"Quickly, put them in here," I urged him, moving out of the way. "Matt is in the kitchen. Where's the other box?"

"Right here!" a new voice declared and I turned to see Ariana carrying a considerably bigger box toward me, using extra care.

Confused, I turned back to Sage. He grinned at me. "I'm treating her out to dinner."

"You are?"

"Yup," he responded popping his P. "I hate to say it, but I'm not going to stick around for Matt to see me… I don't want to be dead and leave Ariana stranded here."

Ariana pouted. "I want to see his reaction too… Interesting choice in present, Daphne."

I scratched the back of my head. "Well…"

"I've never seen one like it!"

"Daphne? Who are you talking to?"

Before I could ask her what she meant, Sage, Ariana, and I all turned our heads to the kitchen door, where Matt was standing, looking surprised. He furrowed his eyebrows together in confusion.

"Hey, Matt! We're just leaving!" Sage chirped, moving forward to pull me into a gigantic bear hug. He slapped my back roughly a few times, laughing loudly as he did so. "I'll see you soon…" He shut the door behind him as he pushed Ariana out of the apartment.

"There's something wrong with that kid," Matt muttered, shaking his head. "Sometimes I wonder…" He trailed off, his eyes landing on the pile of wrapped presents Sage had brought in. His eyes snapped to mine. "What's that?"

"Happy birthday!" I cried, throwing up my arms.

His face went blank for a moment, and then he clenched his jaw, his eyes narrowing. "Who told you it was my birthday?"

"Sage," I responded, frowning at his angry reaction.

A muscle in his jaw jumped as he glared angrily at the door. "I'm going to kill him…"

"Why didn't you tell me it was your birthday?" I demanded, putting my hands on my hips.

He shook his head at me. "Never mind. Come on, let's go eat."

I stood my ground. "No! Tell me why you didn't tell me!"

"Daphne."

"Matt," I challenged, moving closer to him. "It's your birthday! If Sage hadn't told me I wouldn't have known."

"Good."

Frowning at him, I stopped about a foot away. "What do you mean _good_? Why wouldn't you tell me? I would have felt awful when I found out."

He waved his hand. "Forget about it."

"Matt! Tell me," I pleaded, grabbing his hand. "Why didn't you?"

"It's none of your business."

"Yes it is!" I argued, gripping his hand tighter. "You're my boyfriend! Do you know how ashamed of myself I felt when I realized I didn't know your birthday?"

He squeezed my hand back. "I wasn't expecting you to know, Daphne. Don't feel bad about it."

"Well why didn't you at least tell me today?"

After a moment of silence, he finally sighed. "For the exact reason why you want to celebrate."

"Because it's your birthday?" I responded, confused.

"Yes."

"I don't get it," I confessed, furrowing my eyebrows.

He ran his free hand over his face. "I'm a year older now, Daphne."

"So? I turn a year older on my birthday too… It shouldn't be so surprising."

The corners of his lips twitched, but he didn't smile. "That means the age difference between us goes up another year. Now I'm physically five years older than you."

I blinked. _That _was what he was upset about? A quiet laugh escaped my lips. "You're worried about that? Matt, that means nothing to me."

He frowned. "What?"

"I don't care if you're a year older than me, or twenty… Or actually, I would care if you _looked_ twenty years older than me," I corrected, smiling sheepishly. "But anyway, technically, you're like four thousand years older than me. And a few months."

"A lot of months," he muttered, clenching his jaw again.

I grasped his hand tighter. "I really don't care, Matt. I don't care about our age difference, but I do care about celebrating your birthday."

Now a smile appeared on his face. "I love you, Daphne," he said softly, pulling me into an embrace. "You're too perfect."

"I'm not perfect," I mumbled into his chest. "I just think like a normal person."

His chest rumbled with laughter. "You're not normal."

I pushed away from him, giving him a sarcastic smile. "Thank you."

"In a good way," he clarified, ruffling my hair. "Just the way I love you."

"If you love me, you'll open your presents."

He groaned. "Do I have to?"

I nodded, glancing at the larger of the boxes. "Quickly."

"Why?"

"Um, like I said, I'm hungry," I responded awkwardly.

He shrugged, but moved toward the pile of presents. To my dismay, he grabbed the larger one first. I opened my mouth to protest, but he was already pulling the top off it. So much for giving him clues to about what he was receiving before he opened it.

When the top was fully off, all expression was wiped from his face. I clapped a hand to my mouth to stop myself from laughing at him. For a full minute he stared into the box, not moving a muscle. Then, almost inaudibly, a sound came from the box.

_Meow_.

His head snapped toward me, his eyes narrowing. "Daphne…"

"Happy birthday!" I repeated enthusiastically.

"Take it back. Take it back right now," he ordered, shoving the box into my arms.

I frowned at his reaction. "Matt…"

He shook his head. "I told you I didn't like cats."

My gaze dropped into the box, where a cute, little, blue-eyed, grey and white striped kitten was lying, mewling quietly. My heart soared out to it— Sage had chosen the right cat from the shelter. "Oh my god! It's so cute!"

"What's with that reaction? Didn't you choose it?"

I shook my head, picking up the little fur ball from the box. "No, Sage was the one who got it from the shelter."

"I should have known Sage was in on it," he said, scowling. "I'm going to punch him so hard…"

The kitten meowed again, squirming in my arms. I placed him on the ground, and he staggered toward Matt. I watched as it latched its claws onto his pants and climbed up to his shirt. Matt frowned, plucking the cat off him. I smiled at the sight.

"Keep him," I urged, moving toward him. "He's so cute!"

He shook his head. "Daphne—"

"We can't bring him back to the shelter," I told him, gripping the bottom of his suit jacket. "Not when he finally has a home…" My voice caught in my throat as I stared at the little critter. I had just been saying that to convince Matt, but it was actually true. My eyes glazed over at the thought of having to bring the poor orphan kitten back.

Matt sighed lightly. "If I keep him, will it stop you from crying?"

"Yes," I responded immediately, looking back up at him. "It'd break my heart to bring him back… That was the reason Sage had to go to the shelter— if I went, I'd end up taking every animal home."

Matt didn't smile, but he did look at the kitten in his hands. After a few moments he sighed once more. "Alright. Fine. I'll keep him."

"Yay!" I cried, throwing my arms around him, but keeping my body away so I didn't crush the kitten. "We got you cat food and dishes and litter and a litter box too! They're the other presents!"

"Aw, you ruined the surprise," he said sarcastically.

"What are you going to name him?" I inquired, scratching the now purring kitten behind his ears.

Matt looked thoughtful for a second. "Cat?"

"No."

"Twitch? Because his tail twitches a lot-"

"No."

He stayed silent for another moment. "Dinner—"

"Matt!"

A chuckle left his lips. "I'm kidding, Daphne. How about… Milkshake?"

"Milkshake?" I repeated, furrowing my eyebrows.

"Yeah, so I can always remember when you tried to striptease for me."

My face grew hot immediately and I scowled at him. "No!"

"Hi, Milkshake," he cooed, holding up the little kitten. "I think I might actually like you."

"Matt!"

"Let's go give you some food," he said, ignoring me. "I bet you're hungry."

I stared after him exasperatedly. He had to be kidding! I watched as he let Milkshake crawl onto his back while he opened the litter box and other necessities. When Milkshake almost fell off his back, he quietly scolded the kitten, causing me to giggle. Matt glanced at me warily. "Are you going to help?"

"Sure," I responded, going over to him. "I'll fill the food and water dish."

When all of Milkshake's new belongings were settled, Matt sent him on the ground in front of his food dish. He immediately began chowing down on the chicken and tuna flavored soft food. I watched him with a small smile on my face. He was adorable.

"Daphne… You have something on your back."

"Huh?"

I felt Matt pulling something off the back of my tank top. Confused, I turned around just in time to see him crumple something in his hand. I grew more confused when I noticed his embarrassed face.

"What is it?" I prodded, reaching my hand out.

"Never mind," he responded, clenching his fist tighter. "It's nothing."

I frowned. "Did Sage stick a note to me when he hugged me? I was wondering why he slapped me so hard! Let me see it! What does it say?"

"Nothing."

"Matt!"

"It's nothing."

Without any warning I lunged for him, grabbing his hand and forcing his fist open. He tried to close his fist again, but before he could I grabbed the objects. Jumping away from him, I quickly unfolded the piece of paper in my hand. It was a note— from Sage, judging by the handwriting.

_Try not to have too much fun_.

Furrowing my eyebrows, I picked up the next item in my hand. It was a small, square package. "Huh? What's this?" I turned to look at Matt.

He stared at me in disbelief, his mouth opening slightly. His expression turned from incredulity, to embarrassment, and finally to amazement. "Are you serious, Daphne?"

"What?" I said, surprised by his reaction. "What is it…?" I trailed off, realizing what the item in my hand was. "Oh my god!" Without thinking, I tossed it at Matt, who snatched it up, looking embarrassed again.

"Trust Sage to pull a stunt like this," Matt muttered, staring at the package in his hand.

Blood flooded my cheeks as I crushed the note in his hand. "I… Er… Well…" My heart was pounding so loudly in my ears, I could barely hear. What was Sage thinking? Taping a _condom_ to my back? Oh my god. What was Matt thinking now? I couldn't bring myself to look at him. It was too embarrassing.

"Daphne?"

"I'm so sorry!" I burst, my eyes wide. "I had no idea Sage was going to do that! Honestly!"

Matt grinned. "Yeah, I know."

"I can't believe… I didn't… I can't even—"

"Calm down," he ordered, placing a hand on my shoulder. "Don't worry about it."

I stared up at him, my heart still hammering in my chest. "But…"

"But?"

"You don't want to… Um… You don't want to, you know," I muttered, my cheeks growing hotter and hotter.

He cocked an eyebrow. "Of course I want to. I've wanted to for a while."

"You have?"

"Yeah," he told me, lifting an eyebrow. "I _am_ a guy, Daphne."

I laughed nervously. "Oh…"

"I'm still a gentleman though, so I'm going to wait until you're ready."

"What if… I'm ready?" I whispered, fixing my gaze on the floor.

Fingers touched my face and he forced me to look up at him. His blue eyes pierced into mine with seriousness. "Are you positive you're ready?"

"I…"

He dropped his hands, shaking his head. "You're not ready, Daphne."

I puffed my cheeks at him. "How do you know?"

"You're hesitating."

"That's just because—"

"It doesn't matter," he said forcefully, cutting me off. "I told you we aren't going to do anything physical until you graduate."

"That's so long, though!"

He smirked. "What are these words coming out of my innocent little Daphne's mouth?"

"Matt!"

He shook his head. "I'm sorry, Daphne… We're waiting, even if you don't want to."

"Fine," I huffed, crossing my arms. It was almost funny— _he_ was being the responsible one here. I always thought in this situation _I'd_ be the responsible one.

"Now let's go eat and watch the movie," he proposed, putting a hand on my back. "I'm not opposed to making out either."

I rolled my eyes, careful not to step on Milkshake, who was still feasting. "Maybe we should wait until _after_ graduation—"

He lightly tapped the back of my head. "Don't be a brat."

"I'm not," I protested, walking after him as he returned to the living room. "I'm just using your words against you."

"Well don't," he advised, flopping onto the couch. He opened his arms for me and I settled down between them, leaning back against his chest. "Isn't this okay? We don't need to have sex to keep things interesting."

Sighing contently, I snuggled closer to him. "Yeah, this is okay. I just figured you'd want to…"

He set his chin on top of my jaw. "As I said before, I do want to, but I want _you_ to graduate so you can do something with your life."

"It's not like I'm going to blab to everyone I banged my teacher!"

"Shh, Daphne. Let's just watch the movie."

I searched for the blanket that he kept on the back of the couch and when I located it, I unfolded it, promptly covering our bodies with it. He un-paused the movie, bringing his arms under the blanket and around me, resting his hands on my stomach. I put my hands over his, turning my head so I could watch the television screen. Drowsiness was washing over me, but I forced it away. There was no way I was falling asleep and missing out on all that time with Matt…

I jolted awake as I felt myself being lifted into the air. By the time I'd forced my eyes open, Matt was already halfway to the bedroom, carrying me princess style. He peered down at me, a sheepish grin crossing his face. "Whoops. I thought I could carry you without waking you up."

"Did I fall asleep?" I mumbled rhetorically.

He chuckled, nudging open the door to his bedroom with his foot. "Sometimes I feel like you're an eight year old, not an eighteen year old."

"Sorry."

"It's cute," he told me, placing me gently on my side of the bed. "You can go back to sleep."

I caught his hand when he tried to walk away. "Where are you going?"

He cocked an eyebrow. "To shut off the television? I'll be right back to fight off all the scary monsters."

Flushing, I turned away from him. "I'm not scared!"

"Sure," he responded skeptically. "I'll be right back."

I slipped under his comforters while he turned off the T.V, shifting into a more comfortable position. Moments later, Matt returned, stripping off his shirt before turning off the light and climbing into the bed next to me. I turned onto my side to face him, reaching out a hand to touch his face. "I love you."

"I love you too," he responded in an amused tone, gripping my hand in his. He moved closer so that he could pull me to his chest again. "Go back to sleep."

Shaking my head, I turned so that our faces were merely an inch away from each other. "I'm not tired anymore."

"Liar," he stated before brushing his lips against mine lightly.

I responded with more force than he expected, because as soon as my lips were on his, he tensed for a moment in surprise. Using this to my advantage, I took the dominance in the kiss, using my tongue to explore his coke tasting mouth. For a fleeting moment I remembered I'd forgotten to brush my teeth, but I pushed it aside. One night wouldn't harm anyone. As soon as Matt recovered from his shock, he easily gained control over me, taking the reins on the kiss. He rolled over so that I was pinned underneath him, his chest crushing mine.

"Every day you get better at kissing," he complimented when he pulled away to let me breathe.

I gazed up at him, barely able to make out his face in the darkness. "You said I was a good kisser the first time we kissed," I wheezed, finding it harder to catch my breath with his weight pressing down on me.

"I didn't lie," he breathed, pressing his lips to mine once again. Before we could really get it going again, he rolled off me. "I'm tired."

"You said we could make out!"

"Disappointed?" he teased.

I huffed angrily, feeling heat rise to my cheeks. "I-I'm not…"

He pulled my body closer to his again. "We'll have plenty of chances to kiss, Daphne. It's not like tonight is our last night."

"I know," I responded with a sigh, adjusting myself more comfortably against his body. "You can sleep… Wuss."

He gently knocked his head against mine. "Goodnight, Daphne."

* * *

**A/N.** Trust Sage to do something like that. ;)

MILKSHAKE THE CAT! Cute guy, cute guy. Not only is he cute, but he also has some other very interesting characteristics that we shall find out soon. I found a great pic of him: fc01. deviantart fs18/i/2007/133/3/1/ Blue_Eyed_Kitten_by_twilightchild91. jpg

I also wanted to show you guys this cat because his eyes are just beautiful: .flickr 2758/4304011940 _b3c0e1d67e_o. jpg

Just take out the spaces and copy and paste the links into your web address bar.

Review Replies:

Creamychocpudding: Thanks! :D Lol. Actually, that's not cheating. At school dances, you can dance with anyone. So, if I had a boyfriend -bleh, too young- I could go ahead and dance with his best friend and not be seen as a "beep". :) Thanks for the review!

Killer bunnies: YIPPEE! Lol, me too. Hahah, thanks! :D Aww, that's sweet, thanks! Yessiree. Heehee. They're my two top favorite book series' too! :D Lol, same here. Yes he does, but Daphne secretly loves it, as Sage said. ;D I can imagine Sage dressed up as Indiana Jones, with the theme song playing in the background and striking a pose, lol. Dun dun dun da, dun du dun, dun da dum da, dun dua dun dun dun... Well that sounds loverly! :D Is your older sister a college kid? I'm just assuming because you said she came over. :D Thanks!

PsychoBrunette: Lol. Thanks! Haha! :D That sounded like you had fun!

Foxface333ChocolateLabrador: Thanks! Oops, sorry 'bout that. :3 Muchas gracias.

Curlscat: Lol, "ko-too" it us. There's always drama at parties. Always. That's awesome! :D And thanks. Lol, you're right…maybe Percy has bad vision? ;D Thanks! And yes, Daphne will be explaining it all to her.

Curlscat: Lol, I love all types of reviews so it's all right. NaNoWriMo! Did you finish? And that's okay –I'd rather you reach your goal that give reviews that take time away from that. And you won yet again –sort of. You were the 444th reviewer. :D Awesome! Hahha, I'll try.

Trikster Queen: Thanks!

Ri: Thankies! :D Buffets…mmmm…lol. Yes it was! Thanks!

Gifted Shadows: He's mine, too. :D MoA love! :D Thanks! :D

Clarinet Jazz: Thanks for the response! :D I hope this is early enough! Thanks again!

Laylaenchantix101: Heehee. Lol, well, all right. Wow, really? Interesting… Slapping Jackson? Me too! :D Oh,_ Aaron_, huh? ;D Does that mean you went ahead and read the other version of this? :D Jk. Hahah!

Emma: Wow, thanks for the wonderful review! It really means a lot to me! :D

: Lol, it's okay! Don't worry about it. Hahha, thanks! :D LOL, that made me laugh out loud so…well, _loud_. I think I'm going to have to put some kind of poll on couple names…yeah, I'm going to do that. MEAT! HAM! TURKEY! TERIYAKI CHICKEN! **BEEF JERKY! **Funny you mention Daniel…;D

GrimmGirlLove: LE-O! LE-O! LE-O! JELL-O! LE-O! :D Lol, thanks! Wow, you seem to be Leo and Matt crazed. :D Haha, sounds fun!

Emowriter: YEAH! Lol, you're just a stew of emotions, aren't you? :D _You haven't read the Lost _-friggin- _Hero yet? _DISRESPECTFUL. :D Lol, funny how you call her a stupid head…the teacher I'm basing her on is actually pretty wicked awesome. She gives us candy. Hahah, that's okay. Being legitimately, not illegitimately, legitimately dead is a good reason. ;) YEAH! GO DKD!

Autumn: Heehee! I couldn't resist. I've been on a PJO high ever since I finished reading MoA. LOL, that was hilarious! Thanks! :D

As White As Snow: Oops. Sorry! I seriously forgot not everyone celebrates Thanksgiving…Sorry. Hahaha, thanks!

Aqua Cahill: :D Yessiree! "Le gasp!" is right! Lol, that was very amusing to hear! I'm glad you had a lot of fun!

**BIG ANNOUNCEMENT**. Well, not really big. But **people have been trying to establish a pairing name for Sage and Ariana. In your reviews, could you put the couple name you think they should have?** I'll put all of the suggestions on a poll on my profile so everyone can vote on the one they want. One with the most votes by…eh, February will be the pairing name. I say February because I'm most likely going to forget about making the poll until like, a month before then, haha!

Okay. My hands are seriously dying right now. SIGH. But anyways, see you all hopefully next weekend! We'll see where the week takes us. :D

HAPPY FIRST DAY OF DECEMBER! (According to my time zone, that is.) Ai…pasko na naman! :D I wish I could go to the Philippines this Christmas…absolutely beautiful during Christmas time…

~Lara


	22. Chapter 22: Babysitting

**A/N. **Deck the halls with bounds of funny-

HA HA HA HA HA, ha Ha HA HAA!

Haaaa...sorry.

I apologize for not updating last weekend -I was studying for Midterms. I still am since I have one more Monday...It's going well if you're wondering (which you're probably not, haha!). I think I'm successful in getting all A+'s this quarter. :)

By the way,** FTFT now has 1238 reviews**! **Wowza!** That couldn't have happened without you all! And the **1234th reviewer was XxOnceUponADreamxX**, or as most of you may remember, **Goffygoober**! ^-^ She is an absolutely amazing writer and you MUST read her story, Bittersweet Ending! It's a pretty old story (I remember reading it in my first year of FanFiction!) but it's SO great! There's a little Puckabrina here, a lot of action there; ...it's a really fun read. :) I'm sure you'll love it as much as I did. :)

OH MY GOSH CHRISTMAS IS NEXT TUESDAY! O: I CANNOT BELIEVE IT.

Zhat remindz meh...

**I'm going to update a lot hopefully after Christmas vacation starts**, and hopefully post a story/one-shot on Christmas. :) I have two ideas but I'm not sure which I pick, but anyways, **YAY**, right?

I should stop talking and let you read.

Enjoy!**  
**

* * *

_Chapter 22: Babysitting_

It wasn't every day you woke up in your boyfriend's bed due to the sound of a slamming door and opening your eyes to see a small baby peering curiously into your eyes. I uttered a small scream of surprise, sitting up immediately, and grabbing the baby so he wouldn't fall off the bed. Matt sat up immediately, sending Milkshake in a furry tumble down his abdomen. When his eyes landed on the small child in front of us, he blinked. "Phillip?"

"I think now's the time you tell me if you have an illegitimate baby," I stated dumbly, staring at the child I was holding.

Matt frowned. "Daphne!" he suddenly shouted, throwing the comforters off himself. "Daphne!"

"What?" I asked, staring at him in confusion. "You don't need to yell—"

"Yes, Matt?"

My head snapped to the bedroom door, where my doppelgänger was standing. She smiled brightly at me. "Hey Daphne! I didn't know you and Matt slept in the same bed—"

"What is Phillip doing here?" Matt demanded, cutting her off.

"You're babysitting him today," she said casually.

Matt froze. "What?"

I recognized the baby now. Phillip was Daphne's stepson.

"It's okay, isn't it? Terrance is working and I just got called in. Daphne, you'll watch him for me, right?" Daphne asked, turning her pleading eyes on me.

"Uh… Sure?" I responded, throwing a confused look to Matt.

"Thank you!" she chirped, grinning widely. "I'll pick him up around seven o'clock! I left some of his toys and stuff by the door. Oh, and Matt, if you have to go somewhere I left his car seat in your car. You know, you should really lock your door..."

Matt scowled at her. "Daphne—"

"Bye bye!" she called, disappearing from the doorframe.

Matt and I exchanged looks. I smiled widely saying, "I love kids!" the same time he sighed muttering, "I hate kids."

"Wait, what?" I said, confused. "But you get along with Nathaniel…"

"That's because Nathaniel's my nephew, and he's a lot more mature than other children. Those kids, on the other hand…"

An awkward silence passed between us, only broken when Phillip started babbling nonsense. I quickly returned my attention to him, bouncing him up and down on my lap. My mind was racing. Matt didn't like children? That was unexpected. If he didn't like children, why would Daphne drop Phillip off here?

Phillip suddenly let out an over flow of drool onto my stomach, making me groan in disgust. "Eww!"

"Don't you dare wipe that off on my covers," Matt warned threateningly. "I already have enough drool on my bed because you like to drool while you sleep."

Flushing, I glared at him. "I do not!"

"The stains on my pillow say otherwise," he remarked with an amused twinkle to his eyes.

I glowered at him, my embarrassment increasing ten-fold. He smirked smugly back at me. "I hate you," I finally muttered.

"No you don't, and I never said your drooling was a bad thing. It's cute."

"I'm going to change my shirt," I notified him, pushing myself out of his warm bed.

He chuckled, climbing out of the bed as well. "Okay. I'll start breakfast. When you're done, you feed the kid."

I swiveled around to frown at him. "Why do I have to feed him?"

"I don't know how," Matt responded simply.

"You're kidding me. Haven't you babysat Phillip before?"

"Nope."

"All you have to do is give him a bottle!"

He nodded at me, impressed. "See? You know what you're doing."

I grabbed a clean shirt from my bag before entering the bathroom, ignoring his last comment. His loud laughter sounded through the closed door, reaching my ears. I set Phillip near the door, opening the bathroom closet and pulling out a washcloth. My nose wrinkled in disgust as I peeled the wet shirt off of me. _Gross_.

When I finished cleaning myself up I hoisted Phillip into my arms again, carrying the giggling child back into Matt's room. "Daphne! Over easy or scrambled?" he called from the kitchen.

"Scrambled!" I called back, placing Phillip on my hip.

My loud voice must have scared him, because he began to cry. Loudly. Panicking, I held him out at arm's length, looking around wildly. "Hey! It's okay! Shh!" I hastened into the kitchen, giving Matt a desperate look. "What do I do?"

He made a face at the crying baby. "This is exactly why I don't like kids. They're annoying when they cry."

"That's all they know how to do!" I replied, speaking loudly to be heard over Phillip's wails.

"Just feed him."

I nodded, stumbling over to the fridge. "Do I warm it up?"

"I don't know."

I smiled wryly at him. "We'd make such awful parents…"

"Good thing we don't have to worry about that," he chuckled, flipping the egg in the frying pan with ease.

I kept my mouth shut, opening the fridge. What did he mean by that? He didn't want to have kids? My stomach twisted uncomfortably at the thought. I wanted to have children when I was older… Phillip's incessant bawling pulled me from my thoughts and I snatched the bottle from the fridge, handing it to the wailing infant. To my surprise, he could actually hold it himself.

"Matt! Look!"

Matt turned to me, cocking an eyebrow. "Yes?"

"He's holding it himself!"

"He's been able to do that for a few months, Daphne."

I stared at Phillip, impressed. "Really?"

"You've never been around a baby, have you?" Matt questioned, folding his arms over his chest. "Because Basil was already out of his baby phase by the time you got him from Mirror?"

A sheepish smile appeared on my face. "Ah ha ha… Yeah."

He nodded. "I thought so."

"Kitty kitty!" Phillip abruptly cried, pulling his mouth off the bottle, and pointing at the ground wildly with his hand.

Milkshake was tottering into the room, nearly stumbling over his legs. My heart nearly stopped. "He's so cute!" I gushed, wishing I could scoop him up and pet him, but unable to do so because of Phillip.

The kitten went right up to Matt, meowing as loudly as his little body would let him. "Can't find your food?" Matt inquired, squatting down to pick him up. "It's by the trash can, come on."

I couldn't help but to smile at the pair. Matt may not have liked children, but he definitely seemed good at taking care of small, living things. He said he hated cats. _Ha_. Phillip wriggled in my arms and I placed him on the floor, making sure he still had a grip on his bottle.

"Go check what Daphne left for Phillip," Matt ordered, placing Milkshake in front of his food and water dishes. "Maybe there's something we can keep him busy with."

"Okay." I ambled out of the kitchen and into the living room, where two diaper bags and an odd contraption were resting. Curiously, I bent down in front of the weird invention, examining it. There was a space in the middle for a baby to sit, and surrounding it were an assortment of rattles, buttons, and a tray for food. I hesitantly pressed one of the blue buttons; jerking back in surprise when the thing began blasting Mary Had A Little Lamb. My butt landed hard on the ground and I grimaced, muttering a curse under my breath.

"You good, Daphne?" Matt called from the other room, a hint of amusement in his voice.

After pushing myself back to my feet and brushing off my bottom, I gave him an affirmative response. Heaving the diaper bags over my shoulder, I grabbed the baby plaything and dragged it into the kitchen. Matt cocked an eyebrow at it.

"I don't know, so don't ask," I stated, dropping the diaper bags onto the floor. "Maybe we put Phillip in it…"

Phillip looked up at me when he heard his name. A grin broke out on my face when he waved. He was so _cute!_

"I need to go to the grocery store," Matt muttered, twisting the knob to the stove to shut it off. "Before lunch."

I frowned. "Are you taking Phillip?"

"_We_ are taking him," he said firmly, narrowing his eyes at me. "I'm not doing this by myself. I'd shoot myself."

"Matt," I protested, folding my arms over my chest. Did he really not like children that much? Didn't he get along with Sage's sisters? Well, Sage's sisters weren't exactly babies…

Matt ignored my objection to his words, scraping the finished, over easy eggs out of the frying pan and putting them onto two separate plates. My gaze shifted to Phillip, who was still happily drinking his bottle. Our gazes met and he waved again. I waved back, unable to stop myself from grinning.

"Daphne, weren't you supposed to call your mom last night?"

"I was supposed to what?" I questioned, too distracted by Phillip to comprehend his words fully. When I did, I caught my breath. "Fudge! I forgot!"

He chuckled, ruffling my hair as walked by me to place one of the plates on his small, dainty kitchen table. "Sit down and eat. I'll grab your phone."

"You will?" Since when did he do stuff for me?

He gave me a flat look. "I can be nice, you know."

I looked at him thankfully, taking a seat at the table. "Okay. It's in my bag."

"I know."

Picking up my fork, I took the first bite of his famous cooking. A contented sigh left my lips as I relished the taste of the eggs. It'd been too long since I'd last had his cooking. It wasn't fair that he was such a good cook. I wanted to be able to make him a delicious breakfast too. The master cook himself came back into the room a few seconds later, tossing my cell phone onto the kitchen table. I looked up to thank him, but my voice caught when I saw what else he had in his hand.

"What's this?" he inquired, waving a small, wrapped package in my face.

"Nothing!" I cried, attempting to snatch the gift out of his hand.

He smiled teasingly, yanking it out of my reach. "It looks like a present to me. Maybe a present _for_ me?"

"It's your Valentine's Day gift," I confessed, feeling my cheeks warm up. "I couldn't afford anything close to what you got me—"

"Not that I expected you to," he said quickly, rolling his eyes. "You're a high school student."

"Still…"

Before either us of could say more, Phillip's wailing began again. Immediately I bounded up from my chair, hopping the few steps to the little boy. After raising him off the ground, his crying ceased. "Aw, Phillip! Are you sad because we weren't paying attention to you?"

He gazed up at me with his round, green orbs, a tiny hand reaching for my hair. "Mommy."

Matt snorted from behind me as I gaped at the boy. "I'm not your mommy," I blabbered, my eyes widening. "Oh, but I must look like your mom, huh? I guess that's understandable…"

"Daphne, help me put this on."

I glanced back at Matt, who was holding out the gold chain necklace I'd bought him as a gift. My mouth dropped open as a smug expression crossed his face. "Hey!"

"What?"

"I didn't tell you to open that!"

"It's mine, isn't it?"

I shook my head. "No! I mean yes, it is! But… You don't have to wear it. Isn't it too girly?"

"Nope," he responded simply. "I used to wear chains all the time during my first years as a gang member."

"That makes me want to give it to you less."

He sighed, gesturing for me to go to him with a finger. After a few seconds of hesitation I finally obeyed, placing Phillip in his little baby holder. He seemed to enjoy it a lot, automatically hitting the blue button I'd pressed earlier. Matt held out the chain to me and I took it, unclasping it. My hands shook as I brought my arms over Matt's shoulders in order to wrap the chain around his throat. Did he really like it? Or did he hate it and lie to make me feel better? When I clasped it back together again, I dropped it so it hung limp on his neck. He turned toward me, lifting an eyebrow. "How do I look?"

"H-handsome," I mumbled, my embarrassment getting the best of me.

"No surprise there."

"Narcissist," I muttered.

He smirked, placing a swift kiss on my lips. "Thank you, Daphne."

"Oh, it's um, no problem," I responded, feeling embarrassed again. "It's Valentine's Day after all…"

"I'm glad I got to celebrate it with you," he told me, taking a lock of my hair and wrapping it around his finger. "Even if we got a surprise this morning… Will you shut that thing off?" he suddenly snapped, turning to Phillip.

My eyes shot back to his face, flickering to Phillip for a moment. He was still playing peacefully. "What's wrong?"

"That noise is what's wrong. It's annoying."

I almost laughed when Matt jerked his head toward Phillip. "Matt, it's a baby toy."

"Another reason I don't like babies," he stated stubbornly.

Pursing my lips, I dropped my gaze. "You can get other toys, you know."

"I don't need to," he told me, strolling back over to the oven to pile his breakfast down on his plate. "Eat breakfast. I want you to come to the grocery store with me, and I'm going to leave soon."

I peered at him curiously, but obeyed and sat down to eat. "Why?"

"I want to eat lunch," he told me slowly, raising an eyebrow. "Weren't you listening earlier?"

I opened my mouth to retort, but closed it quickly, dropping my gaze. "Might've mentioned it…"

"I did," he replied, scooping a spoonful of eggs into his mouth. "Are you going to eat?"

Grumbling under my breath, I picked up my fork, and proceeded to eat the meal he'd prepared for me. "Before we leave I want to shower."

"Me too."

I looked up at him. "I don't think you've ever taken a shower while I was here," I commented thoughtfully.

A smug expression crossed his face. "That's because I'm always afraid you'll come barging in—"

"I would not—!"

"Kidding," he cut me off, his eyes glittering with amusement. "I just wait until you leave."

"Why?"

He shrugged. "Just because."

"Oh, I know why," I started in a joking tone, "it's because you didn't want to waste the precious time you had with me, right?"

"Yup."

His response threw me off guard and my mouth dropped. As he took in my expression, a smug one crossed his face. Just as he opened his mouth to say something— most likely some egotistical comment— I spoke. "That's cute."

"That's my line," he protested, his smile faltering.

I shrugged, trying to keep my face casual, and the blush that was threatening to creep onto my face from my bold actions off. "Whoops."

"Go take a shower."

"I'm not done eating!"

He stared intently at my plate, where only a few scraps of scrambled eggs lay. "Just go."

Rolling my eyes, I placed my fork on the plate. "Fine! Make sure you keep your eye on Phillip! And text my mom for me!"

He shooed me with his hand. "Okay."

I made an effort to smack his head as I walked by him, but he easily blocked it. When I went to pull my arm away, he quickly grabbed it, yanking me toward him. Startled, I lost my balance and fell onto him, my face bashing into his. A groan of pain left my lips and I tried to pull away, but he held me fast, placing a swift kiss on my lips. Blushing again, I attempted to pull myself away again and this time he let me go, chuckling as I escaped to the bathroom.

After a ten-minute shower I forced myself out from under the relaxing flow of water and onto the cold bathroom floor. Phillip was crying again, so I dressed briskly, drying my hair carelessly. He was still crying as I jogged into the kitchen five minutes later. Matt was awkwardly holding him in his arms, looking completely aggravated. As soon as he noticed me, he shoved Phillip into my arms.

"I'm showering," he enlightened me, brushing by. "Watch him."

Frowning after him, I hugged the baby boy to my chest. He wrapped his arms around my neck, quieting down. My mind was in turmoil. How could Matt not like children? What would he say when he found out I _wanted_ children? Would he be angry? Would he want to break up…?

I shook my head violently. There was no way he'd break up with me because of that… Phillip suddenly yanked at my wet hair, making me yelp in pain. He giggled, putting the end of it in his mouth. "Don't do that!" I scolded, tugging it away from him. "It might be clean now, but it's still gross!"

He giggled again. I sighed.

By the time Matt returned from taking a shower, I'd settled on the couch with Phillip, flipping through the T.V. He collapsed next to me, shaking his soaking hair. I wrinkled my nose as a few drops landed on me. When I turned my head to glare at him, my breath caught in my throat. He looked _too_ good with wet hair. He caught me staring and flicked my nose.

"Take a picture, it'll last longer."

"I-I don't need one!"

"That's because you already have some on your phone."

I ducked my head. "So do you…"

He laughed quietly. "I do, yes. Are you ready to go? Or are you going to be a girl and put on make up?"

"I'm not going out in public without it," I stated firmly, putting Phillip on the floor so I could stand up. "That'd be so embarrassing."

Matt grasped my arm again. "Why?"

"My face is really boring without it."

"I don't think so."

"That's because you're my boyfriend."

He cocked an eyebrow. "No, that's not the only reason I'm saying it. You have natural beauty, Daphne. I would say you don't need to cover it with all your make up, but you hardly use any."

"Well, I don't want coon eyes," I joked, picturing some of the girls in my grade that wore a half an inch of eyeliner around their eyes.

"Sometimes when I see those girls, and guys, it feels like I'm looking into an endless black whole."

I laughed at his joke, shaking my head. "You're not allowed to say that."

"Why?"

"Because you're a teacher."

He grinned. "I'm not allowed to be with you either, but I am."

"It's different," I mumbled, trying to look away from his piercing eyes.

"Try not to take too long," he implored. "I'll meet you in the car."

"Can I drive—"

"No."

I huffed, storming off to the bathroom. He never let me drive. After applying some eyeliner and mascara, I locked the door to Matt's apartment and headed for the outside. A chilly wind nipped at my cheeks the moment I left the building. Shivering, I pulled my coat tighter around me as I descended the stairs that led to the apartment parking lot. Swearing was carried in the wind and I didn't have a doubt about who the curser was. As I'd expected, Matt was muttering swears under his breath as he tried to put Phillip in his car seat. "Need help?" I questioned, stopping behind him.

He moved backwards, sending his bottom into my gut roughly. I gasped, having the wind knocked out of me. "Sorry," he apologized, the corners of his lips twitching up.

"You have a hard butt," I wheezed without thinking.

He looked pleased. "Thank you."

My face tinted red when I realized what I'd said. He snickered as I pushed him aside, aiming to strap in Phillip correctly. Matt had almost gotten it— aside from plugging in the actual seatbelt. After I was finished I moved around to the passenger side, sliding into the idling car. Without further ado, Matt pulled out of the parking lot, and onto the busy street. He took my hand from my lap and put it on the gearshift, putting his hand over mine.

"I change my mind. You'd make a good mom," he told me casually. "It's surprising, actually."

"How so?"

He glanced at me briefly. "You said it yourself. You've never been around babies."

"Oh," I responded lamely, turning to gaze out the window. "I guess it's just motherly instinct… But I don't know if I want to be a mom." The words were out of my mouth before I could stop them. I wanted to smack myself. Why was I lying to him? Was it because I was afraid of what he'd say if I told him the truth?

"Really?"

"Really," I murmured, biting my lip.

"Mm…"

My eyes never left his face. An odd feeling spread throughout me. Was that relief washed across it? I chewed on my lip, turning to look out the window. Out of all the times he could have believed my lie, it had to be now, didn't it?

An awkward silence settled in the car after that, so I turned on the radio, putting it to a low volume so it was just background noise. The trip to the grocery store was a long one, and I found myself playing peek-a-boo with Phillip, who found it the most interesting thing since the melon air freshener that hung from the rear-view mirror. By the time we arrived, Matt was irritated again. I tried not to laugh as I did one more, loud, extravagant peek-a-boo.

"Daphne, do you mind getting him out of the car seat?" Matt requested, glancing at me as he unsnapped his buckle.

"I guess I can so you don't kill him…"

"Haha."

Phillip wiggled uncontrollably in my arms as I pulled him out of the car seat and onto my hip. Matt frowned when he attempted to take my hand, but found it occupied with Phillip. I bit my lip to keep from smiling as he scowled to himself, deciding to place a hand on my lower back instead. "Are you sure it's a good idea to come here, Matt? Ms. Dayscall shops here."

"It'll be fine," he assured me, moving his hand to the top of my head. "Just keep your eyes open."

"That's relieving."

He rolled his eyes. "Just walk."

A burst of warm air met my face as soon as I stepped into the food market. Matt went to fetch a carriage while I stood awkwardly with Phillip still in my arms. A few passersby gave me peculiar looks, but I couldn't blame them. It was weird to see an eighteen year old alone with a child, setting aside the fact my baby face made me look even younger. They probably thought Phillip was my baby and I was a teen mom. The thought made me smile wryly. That would make Matt the dad…

"Put him in here," a low voice commented from my right.

I nearly jumped, whirling around to see the devil standing right behind me, a carriage in front of him. "O-okay."

When Phillip was settled, Matt took my hand in his, dragging me toward the back of the store. It was hard to steer the carriage with one hand, so I tried to pull it back. He held it tighter. I frowned. When he noticed me frowning, he cocked an eyebrow. "What?"

"I need my hand to push Phillip."

"Too bad," he responded casually.

"Are you jealous because I'm spending more attention on Phillip than you?"

He snorted, giving me a sardonic look. "Oh, yes, Daphne. I'm jealous of a one year old."

"You are!" I accused, my eyes widening. "That's why you're being meaner than usual! Why?"

"This was supposed to be me and you time," he told me flatly, setting his jaw. "Daphne ruined it."

I couldn't help but smile at his bitterness. It was sweet. "We can still have our time."

"Aren't you going home tonight?"

"You could come over," I suggested. "My mom wouldn't care."

He moved his head closer to mine, a hand finding its way onto my lower back again. "Or you could stay at my house again tonight," he murmured in a low, persuasive, seductive voice.

"I'll never get my homework done."

He sighed lightly. "Is it bad I'd rather have you spend time with me than have you get good grades?"

"Just a little," I responded, nudging him in the side with my elbow.

"I could always help you with your biology homework," he suggested.

I laughed. "I'll stay until Daphne picks up Phillip, but then you're driving me home."

"Fine," he reluctantly agreed, stopping in front of the egg section. "I hope she's not planning to do this again in the future."

I kept my mouth shut, deciding it was best not to say anything at all. If I agreed with him, he could notice I was lying. If I disagreed, he could get angry— which I didn't want. To make it look like I hadn't heard him, I decided to tickle Phillip's feet. He tried to move them away, a happy smile spreading across his face.

"Daphne, do you like chicken noodle soup?"

"Yes?"

"Okay."

I glanced at him, furrowing my eyebrows.

He cocked his head to the side. "What? I can't ask you what you want to eat?" he inquired teasingly.

"Y-you can!" I responded quickly, turning away from him. "I was just…"

"Hey!"

My heart skipped a beat at the sudden, booming voice that appeared behind me. A few of the shoppers by us turned to look at something behind me. Matt looked too, a wary expression crossing his face. I already knew who it was without having to look.

"Matt! What are you doing with _my_ fiancé and _my_ son?"

"Sage," Matt started in a warning voice.

Seconds later the brunette bounded into my vision, throwing a muscled arm over my shoulder and squeezing me tightly. "It's okay, Daphne. I'll make the bad man go away."

I shrugged out from under his arm, scowling. The shoppers were still watching as I went to smack Sage. He quickly moved out of my way, grinning like a maniac. "Stop making a scene!"

"But you're cheating on me with this… this _monster_!" He feigned a horrified look. "If it was just you, it'd be one thing, but we have a baby now, Daphne. You can't just do tha—oof!" He doubled over in pain, clutching his stomach where Matt had nonchalantly laid a heavy blow with his fist.

Now the bystanders watching us scurried away. Sage groaned, erecting himself. "Dude, uncalled for."

"Stop being a brat," Matt retorted, narrowing his eyes. "You're too dramatic."

Sage shrugged. "Hey, I have to amuse myself somehow."

"Well leave me out of it!"

He winked at me. "Can't do that, Daphne. But anyhow, why do you two have Phillip?"

"Daphne," Matt and I stated simultaneously.

"Ah. That sucks."

"I know," Matt said the same time I responded, "Not really." Our gazes caught again and I quickly looked away.

Sage raised an eyebrow. "Well, he's not too much of a handful. She likes to drop him off on me last minute too."

"I don't think he's that bad," I told him, ruffling the baby's brunette head.

He nodded appreciatively. "Right?"

"Sage!" someone yelled from behind him. I looked over his shoulder to see a young, dark haired man glaring at his back. "Stop prattling and help me unload these boxes!"

"Coming!" Sage called back, sighing heavily. "Guess I have to go do my job… You two have fun! Mom… Dad."

Matt moved toward Sage, but Sage quickly bounded away, laughing loudly. I shook my head, grinning at his stupidity. "He's something…"

"Something irritating," Matt said under his breath.

I laughed. "Sometimes. Come on; let's go get your groceries. The longer we stay here, the more of a chance we have of being caught." Phillip giggled, like he thought the idea was funny. I gently flicked him on the forehead. "That's not funny."

"He can't understand you," Matt told me in an amused tone.

"You never know."

"Right."

"Let's just get your groceries."

He pushed on my back again, leading me to the frozen food area. "Whatever you say… Mommy."

* * *

**A/N. **Heehee, hope you enjoyed that chapter! Unfortunately, because I have to go and study, there won't be any review replies today. Sorry about that. :3

Can anybody guess where Sage's entrance in this chapter came from? It's from a one-shot I posted. Let's see if you can find it. ;D **Winner gets a dedication and something else…**

Buuttt, that's okay since I'll be getting to that next update this week! ^-^

QotU Winner: because that sounded friggin hilarious! :D

New QotU: **What do you think is the best thing about Christmas time?** Family? Parties? Presents? Cookies for Santa?

**Let us take a moment to pray for those families who are grieving in Newton, Connecticut, and have to endure this Christmas without the sound of their children's joyfulness. My heart goes out to everyone who wants to protect their families more than ever, and may those children and adults who died rest peacefully in God's arms. **

~Lara


	23. Chapter 23: Kiss

**A/N.** _Hola, compadres_!

**Thank you** all for the absolutely wonderful comments and just being able to take the time to read! Last chapter, the story finally hit 100,000 words! (100,313 to be exact) Wowzers!

I hope you're all having an absolutely wonderful winter break! Or for those who are still in school, I hope you're getting ready for a Pucktastical break! School, for me, ended Wednesday, which was a half a day. :) But you don't care, so.

If you could, **please keep my uncle Alberto in your prayers**. Today my intro was, "_Hola, compadres_!" for him because he passed away on Wednesday from a heart attack. He's not my real uncle, but family doesn't always have to be related by blood. He's one of the nicest people I've ever met and I'm happy to have had some nice memories with him.

Oooh! Oooh! Who watched Rise of the Guardians?! I'm a little late, but I watched it today and it was great! Sandman was probably my absolute favorite (when Pitch...did whatever he did to him, I sniffled)! Jack Frost, too, but only because he's like the equivalent of Puck, except paler and more winter-y. And Jamie's sister, Sophia, was adorable. :)

QotU Winner: alysskaterr97 because that was really sweet. Although I'll have to definitely agree with Curlscat that everything about Christmas is wonderful.

By the way, the scene that I was referring to last chapter was Sage's entrance ("What are you doing with my fiance and my kid?" "I'll make the bad man go away." "But you're cheating on me with this…this monster!") from chapter seven of Scrumptious Stories.

Sorry for any errors in this and the coming chapter! It's 10 PM and I'm quite tuckered out. Just point them out to me if you see any. :)

**OH MY GODS, THE WORLD IS ENDING! HIDE YOUR KIDS, SAVE YOUR BOOKS, TELL YOUR BED YOU LOVE IT! **

And enjoy this...quite juicy chapter. :D People like twilightfunatic and booksonclouds will…hopefully very much enjoy a certain segment… Heh, heh. Heheheheh. Mwahaha…

* * *

_Chapter 23: Kiss_

"Should I get wheat bread or white bread?"

I peeked over Matt's shoulder to see a loaf of each in his hand. "Does it matter?"

"Well which do you prefer?"

"Umm, wheat?"

He nodded briefly. "Then I'll get white."

"You—"

"Kidding," he interjected, shooting me a sly smile as he slipped the wheat bread into the carriage.

I puffed out my cheeks indignantly. "That gets old, you know!"

"Maybe to you, but your cute flustered expression never does to me," he remarked, flicking the tip of my nose.

Phillip giggled from the carriage seat, reaching his tiny hand up and wrapping his little fingers around Matt's larger digit. For a split-second Matt froze, his eyes snapping down to the little boy who was now pulling at his finger. I watched warily. By his expression, it looked like he wanted to fling Phillip halfway across the room. Just as Matt opened his mouth to protest, I gently pried Phillip's fingers away. "That's dangerous…"

"Dangerous? What? Did you think I was going to fling him across the room?"

A wry smile crossed my face. How did he know? "Er, no…?"

He cocked an eyebrow. "You know you can't lie to me."

"Right," I murmured, the earlier uncomfortable feeling in my stomach returning. If he always knew when I was lying like he claimed, how come he didn't realize I lied when I said I didn't want children? The one time it actually mattered? Why didn't I have the guts to tell him it was a lie?

"Daphne?"

I snapped myself out of my trance, feeling frustrated. "Yeah?"

He furrowed his eyebrows briefly before rearranging his features into a handsome, persuading smile. "Could you go grab the milk and eggs? I'll swing by the meat section and meet you in the fresh foods."

"No problem," I responded, a plan developing in my mind. "But…"

"But?"

Pushing myself onto my tiptoes, I cupped his face in my hands and gave him a swift kiss, crushing out lips together. When I pulled away he was still processing what had happened. "You keep Phillip!" I demanded, escaping while I could, a satisfied smile slipping across my face.

"Daphne!"

Waving once, I disappeared around the corner and out of view. If he didn't like children now, I was going to make him like them. Phillip was a good starting point. He was such a cute little boy! Matt would never be able to keep up his hateful attitude. Maybe he just wasn't used to being around children. If this was his first time babysitting Phillip, that would be a leading factor. He'd come around eventually.

Humming quietly to myself, I headed to the dairy area. I smiled to myself when I realized that if I ever did live with him, this was what it was going to be like when we went grocery shopping. A giggle escaped my lips when I imagined him trying to decide what kind of milk to get. I knew he liked whole while I preferred 2%.

"Something funny?"

My heart stopped at the sound of the familiar voice. He could _not_ be here right now. Not when I was having such a good weekend not worrying about him. He hadn't even popped into my head once! But now… I slowly turned to see Jackson smiling politely at me. Sagging my shoulders, my peaceful face immediately twisted into a scowl. "None of your business."

He looked offended. "Ouch, Daphne."

I ignored him, deciding it'd be best just to pretend he wasn't there. To my dismay he began to follow me. "Go away, Jackson," I ordered over my shoulder.

"Why? Doing something you shouldn't be? Or are you here with someone you shouldn't be?"

"I'm here by myself," I snapped.

"What do you know? Me too!"

Curiosity bit at me. Pausing, I glanced at him from over my shoulder. "You don't seem like the type to grocery shop on your own."

He seemed proud to have my attention. "I don't usually. Anna does it. But she's out with her boyfriend right now."

"Why don't your parents do it then?"

"Well, my mom ditched us and my dad is dead."

I blinked at him, too taken aback to form a coherent response. His father was dead? And his mom left? Even if it was Jackson, that still made my heart go out to him. "I'm sorry."

He shrugged. "It's fine. Anna and I are old enough to live by ourselves."

"You two live by yourselves?"

"That's what I just said."

"Just making sure I heard you right," I snapped, losing all my compassion. He was probably lying anyways! "I didn't even think you would have parents."

He cocked his head to the side. "And why is that?"

"Because you're an Everafter-"

"Shush!" Jackson said loudly. I was taken aback. He made sure no one was looking, and leaned close to me. "Blurt it out to the world, why don't you?"

"Maybe I should. Maybe the world will finally know how much of a liar and a…a sicko you are!"

"You're too funny." He smirked. It seemed my words had no effect on him because he casually changed the subject. "Now you know why I'm here, why are you here?"

"Same reason as you. Picking up groceries for the house."

"Then let's shop together," he offered, looping his arm through mine.

I instantly yanked it away, staggering back a few steps away from him. "No. We're not friends Jackson."

"Aw, Daphne—"

"You punched my best friend! You've hit me! You tried to molest me! You're trying to ruin my relationship!"

Jackson dropped his friendly demeanor, going for a sour one. "And you know what you did? You put Bryant in jail."

It felt like a champion boxer had landed a jab in my gut. _Bryant?_ The name brought memories swirling through my mind. Most profoundly when he tried killing Matt. Before I knew what was happening I was on the ground, clutching my stomach as my breath came out in short rasps. I couldn't breathe. Jackson dropped to his knees in front of me; his face showing part concern and part amusement.

"Don't mention this to anyone, got it?" he threatened in a low voice. "I don't want Mr. Ross and Mr. Firay on my case."

I could barely comprehend his words. He knew Bryant? Were they friends? Did _Bryant _tell him to harass me? If he knew Bryant that meant he knew a lot more than he led on…

"Daphne!"

"Uh-oh," Jackson muttered, pushing himself up from the ground. "Your loyal boyfriend is here."

For a split-second I thought it was Matt, but when Sage's green eyes appeared in my vision, confusion swept through me. So Jackson knew Bryant, but still thought I was dating Sage? That didn't make any sense at all! Bryant knew Matt and I were together, right?

"What did you do to her?" Sage demanded in an angry growl.

"I just surprised her, that's all. Right, Daphne?"

I tried to calm myself down. Sage would get suspicious if I kept panicking. After taking a few deep breaths I finally nodded. "Yeah. He just caught me off guard…"

Sage gave me a flat look. "Don't cover up for him."

"I seriously didn't do anything," Jackson urged, putting on his best innocent expression.

"And why should I believe you?" Sage inquired, now helping me back to my feet. "After what you've done?"

He gave a one-shouldered shrug. "You don't have to believe me. But you'd think you would believe your girlfriend, wouldn't you?"

I frowned deeply, creating a crease in my forehead. It didn't make sense at all. Why wouldn't Bryant tell Jackson I was dating Matt, not Sage? Did Bryant implant the idea that Sage was dating me into Jackson's head?

"Although she is a little liar," Jackson continued thoughtfully. "She told me she was here alone."

"I am here alone," I interjected before Sage could respond. "Sage works here, stupid. Look at his vest."

Jackson's gaze slid past me to Sage. Part of his smug expression fell briefly, but it quickly reappeared as he thought of a witty response. "Oh how cute. Not only does he give you good grades in gym, but he also gives you a discount on groceries?"

"I don't," Sage retorted, narrowing his eyes. "I don't even get a discount."

Jackson snickered. "Then you're pretty useless."

"Get out," Sage ordered, advancing on Jackson. "Leave Daphne alone."

"You can't kick me out of a grocery store."

"Watch me. I'll say you're sexually harassing her."

Jackson looked dubious. "Sure you will."

"Well, if you want to stick around and find out, you're more than welcome to," he replied simply. "Come on, Daphne. I'll escort you out." He wrapped an arm around me, turning me around.

I quickly turned my head to keep an eye on Jackson. Sage abruptly stopped, causing me to stumble forward. Jackson laughed through his nose at me.

"Er, hello, Matt…"

My head snapped back around to where Matt was, Phillip wriggling in his arms. His eyes narrowed at the sight of Jackson. "What's going on?" he questioned.

"Oh you know, I'm just harassing Daphne," Jackson told him lightheartedly.

His eyes flashed. "What?"

"Hi!" Phillip called brightly, waving at Jackson. Jackson blinked at him.

I silently cursed the world. So much for my idea of just shoving this incident under the rug. "He didn't—"

"I don't know what happened," Sage cut me off. "She was on the ground when I found her."

"Jackson," Matt started menacingly, thrusting Phillip into Sage's open arm before moving toward Jackson. "What did you do?"

"Nothing much," he drawled in a teasing tone. He didn't look intimidated in the least. "Even if I did, I wouldn't tell you."

Matt stopped about a foot away from him, hovering a good few inches taller. "I think you need to be taught a lesson."

"Good thing you're a teacher," Jackson responded in a flirtatious voice. "You can teach me all kinds of lessons… Like you teach Daphne."

"That's it—"

"Matt!" I cried, halting him. "Leave it! He didn't do anything!"

He glared at me. "Don't lie, Daphne."

"I-I'm not!"

"Yes you are."

"It was just my overreaction!"

Jackson nodded in agreement. "It really was. You should back down, guard dog. You're acting more like her boyfriend than Mr. Ross is…" He trailed off, gazing between Matt and I suspiciously. "Unless…"

"I wouldn't cheat on Sage," I said quickly, not letting him finish his thought.

"I don't know, you seem more intimate with Mr. Firay… I've never seen you and Mr. Ross do anything couple-y."

I glowered at him. "I don't like PDA."

Sage grinned. "She really doesn't."

"So you and Mr. Firay do it behind the scenes?" Jackson guessed.

"No!" I shouted, causing an old man in a business suit to jump in alarm. After tossing me an annoyed look, he scurried off. "Just go away, Jackson!"

He crossed his arms. "Don't tell me what to do. If you want me to believe you, then prove it."

"No—" I started, but was cut off when Sage swiftly planted his lips onto mine.

For a second I was taken aback, too surprised to move. When he pulled away, he gave a bright smile to Jackson. "Enough proof?"

My gaze went to straight to Matt. He looked just as shocked as I felt. Even Jackson looked surprised. "Er, good enough," he finally muttered, dropping his gaze.

"Good. Now let's go." Sage started ushering me away again. Phillip waved at Jackson and Matt from over his shoulder. "Matt, do you mind grabbing some milk and eggs for Daphne?"

He didn't wait for an answer before pulling me down the cereal aisle, my hand in one of his, his other hand preoccupied by holding Phillip. The situation finally caught up to me and I felt my face flame. Using my free hand, I wiped off my lips with the back of it. "Ew! Sage! Cooties!"

He glanced down at me, grinning. "Glad you can take this so lightheartedly! I thought you were going to slap me."

"I might not slap you, but you might get shot."

"Ah, Matt," he winced. "But I did it to protect you guys and it's not like you kissed me back."

"Still…"

He sighed contently. "I was actually waiting for the day I got to kiss you, Daphne. Your lips were just as soft and tasty as I imagined!"

"Sage!"

He squeezed my hand. "I'm kidding, Daphne. No offense, but I'm not romantically attracted to you."

"Neither am I," I muttered, pulling my hand out of his.

"So what did Jackson do?"

"He really didn't do anything… He just scared me." It really was the truth… partially.

Sage pursed his lips. "Sure, Daphne."

"I'm serious," I insisted, feeling my lips turn down in annoyance. "He didn't even touch me. I really just got scared."

He thought about it for a second. "Well… I guess you are the type to start hyperventilating from just being scared…"

I grimaced.

"I have to leave you here because I've got to get back to work," Sage informed me, stopping by the grocery store exit. He placed Phillip into my arms. "I'll see you later, okay?"

"Sure," I mumbled, repositioning Phillip more comfortably in my arms. "If you see Matt, tell him I'm here…"

Barely five minutes passed before Matt appeared at the closest cash register, eyeing me impatiently while the cashier rang up his food. I smiled hesitantly back at him. Phillip randomly started wailing, causing me to start in surprise. In order not to annoy the customers, I used my head to gesture that I would be waiting outside. For a February afternoon, it wasn't that cold out. I could still see my breath, but it wasn't unbearable. I bounced a little on my feet, trying to keep Phillip quiet. Moments later Matt appeared, his hands full of grocery bags.

"Car."

Surprised by his commanding tone, I trotted behind him as he headed for his car. "What about Jackson?"

"Your boyfriend has him preoccupied."

I didn't know whether to smile or frown. A jealous Matt was a cute Matt… but also a pain to deal with. "You're my boyfriend," I finally sighed.

"That's right," he stated, stopping abruptly in front of his trunk. Using a lighter tone, he gave me a begging look. "Put Phillip in for me?"

"Er, sure," I responded, moving around the car to put the grinning child into the back seat. He waved at me as I strapped him in. Smiling, I waved back before finishing to buckle him in.

Matt was already in the driver's seat by the time I slipped into the passenger's. I snapped my seatbelt and turned to him, frowning when I realized he wasn't wearing his. "Matt, put on your seat—"

My words were caught off for the second time by a pair of lips. These ones were more forceful though. I pulled away, making a face. "Hey!"

"Come back here," he ordered, taking my face in his hand. "I have to get those Sage germs off you."

I rolled my eyes, turning my face to the side as he tried to kiss me again. "You know kissing them off me is indirectly kissing Sage?"

"I've kissed him before," Matt replied simply before forcing my face back to him again.

"You have?" I murmured just before he kissed me, this time softer and sweeter. I responded to this one, bringing my hand up to cover his.

When he finally pulled away, he nodded. "Sage is a horrible drunk."

I couldn't help but to smile at the thought. "I can imagine…" Moving my head forwards to kiss Matt again, I barely touched them before he pulled away. "Hey!"

He chuckled. "Hay is for horses."

"You're the one who said you had to disinfect my lips!"

"Not in the parking lot where Jackson could appear any second," he notified me. "When we get back to my house. In the meantime though, you can explain to me what happened in there and don't you even think about lying."

"Ah, nothing…"

He sighed, putting his key in the ignition. After he started the engine, he spoke again. "I don't lie to you, Daphne."

"You know, you're a lot calmer talking about this when Jackson isn't around."

"That's because every time I see his face I want to punch him."

I wrinkled my nose. "You shouldn't say that, Matt…"

"Did he hit you?"

"No, he honestly didn't touch me. He just surprised me and then threatened me. Nothing unusual."

A wry smile crossed Matt's face. "A mini-Bryant…"

My heart skipped a beat and I dropped my head so he wouldn't see my wide eyes. I knew he was joking, but that was too close to the truth. "I guess so."

"Remember you promised me you'd tell me if he threatened to hurt you."

"He didn't," I assured him. I didn't want to lie, but I wasn't ready to mention Bryant to Matt at all. "It's just the normal stuff."

Matt nodded begrudgingly. "Fine."

I smiled at him. It was cute how protective he was.

"Don't take this the wrong way, Daphne…"

"Don't take what the wrong way?" I inquired, dropping my smile. Usually when someone started off something that way, I _did_ take it the wrong way.

He glanced at me uneasily. "You're too nice to him for your own good."

I laughed. "What? I'm so mean to him!"

"No you're not," Matt responded, an amused smile slipping onto his face. "That may seem mean to you because you're a nice person, but you aren't even being a little bit cruel. You're letting him walk all over you."

"No I'm not!"

"Yes you are."

I puffed out my chest. "No, I'm not."

Matt shook his head. "Yes, you are, Daphne. You know, to get him away you could always resort to violence."

"I'm not like you," I deadpanned.

A grin flashed across his face. "I guess that's a good thing. But seriously, Daphne. Stand up to him a little more."

"I… Will do," I muttered in resignation. There was no use arguing with him.

He nodded. "That's more like it."

Phillip chose that precise moment to let out an unpleasant burp. I swiveled around in my seat to give him a look of disgust. He grinned happily at me. "Mom!"

"I'm not…" I trailed off, unable to stop grinning at how cute he was. He could call me Mom as much as he wanted.

"Daphne, you want kids, don't you?"

My breath caught in my throat. Slowly I turned my gaze to Matt, who was focusing on the road. "Um, well, I'm actually not too fond of baby goats…"

He glanced sarcastically at me for a brief second. "Good one. You want children then, don't you?"

"Yes," I admitted quietly, dropping my eyes to my lap. "I'm sorry, Matt. I just really like them! I understand you don't like them. I won't break up with you over it though! I'd rather have you than a child!"

He used a hand to lightly smack my head. "Are you stupid, Daphne?"

Confused, I stared at him. "What?"

"If it's a child with _you_, then I want it."

I blinked at him. Well, that wasn't what I expected. "You do?" I questioned, excitement bubbling in my stomach. "Even though you hate children?"

"Someone told me it's different when it's your own," he informed me, the corners of his lips twitching. "Besides, I wouldn't take that away from you. I'm not that selfish. I can tell already how much you like kids."

"Oh," I breathed in relief. Laughter racked through my body. So I was worried for nothing? I should have expected this from him!

"You okay?"

"I love you," I said, putting my hand over his.

"I love you too," he responded, sounding confused. "Are you tired or something?"

I narrowed my eyes at him. "What? I can't say I love you for the heck of it?"

"Well usually you'd just mumble it in that cute, embarrassed way of yours…"

Now a blush rose to my cheeks. "I-I don't mumble it!"

"Ah, there we go. I was wondering when your cute blush would come out to play…"

"Stop calling it cute! It's annoying!"

He chuckled, nudging my arm with his. "Not to me, Daphne. It's actually one of my favorite things about you."

"You're attracted to strange things."

"I am."

It took me a second to realize the insult in that. "Matt!"

He laughed again. "I'm kidding…"

I rolled my eyes again. "Good."

"Kind of."

"Jerkazoid."

* * *

**A/N.** New QotU: How would you spend your day if you knew it was your last?

Review Replies:

As White As Snow: Aww, you're so sweet! Some of your review was cut off, but thank you so much!

103: That's great. :) We really need to pray for them. Thanks!

Krystynn nli: Thanks! Oh, I'm sorry! I just wanted to play the "Matt hates kids" card, and that wouldn't work if I hadn't used Daphne P's child. :) Haha, I like the cat, too! Dogs are cliched. :) Just kidding! Aw, thanks! I'll be sure to keep that in mind!

creamychocpudding786: Haha, I did. Thanks! :)

iiGabbyLove: That's right, feel guilty! ...I'm just kidding! :D It was nice of you to comment on that. :) I love you guys so much, though, so that's why I'm going to update twice this weekend for all of you. :) Hahah, that sounds a lot of fun! :D Oooh, HAPPY BIRTHDAYYY! Sort of ironic how your birthday is the day the world is "supposed to" end. :) And how I watched Rise of the Guardians on your birthday, heehee. ...By the way, you share the same birthday as an author I follow on Wattpad! Her name's mamie1990. :D Coincidental, huh?

RockstarGurl4444: Haha, thanks so much! No problem. :) The only time I can really use FF is to post chapters and reply to PMs. :) Thanks!

alysskaterr97: Haha, I'm glad you enjoyed! I did? Well thanks for pointing that out! I shall be sure to fix! Thanks! Haha, wonderful answer!

emowriter: Haha, actually, you're the only one who bothered to comment about it (even if you didn't know). If you go to my story Scrumptious Stories aka YUMMY FOOD!, there's a chapter (I think the latest) where the scene where Sage sees Matt and Daphne is featured, except with Sabrina, Puck, and a guy named Bryant. :)

Aqua Cahill: Haha, I love traveling, too!

Emma: Thank you! I think I did quite well on them. :)

yorkie999777000: Haha, thanks! And maaybe. :D lol, you're so crazy...but a good crazy. :)

Curlscat: You want me to get arthritis, don't you? Thanks for pointing out the errors! Haha, I can relate. :3 But only when I'm lying face down. :D Heehee, you're the odd one out. Yup. Because Matt is uncaring that way. They do! :D I got my cousin those light up wands that have those lights on the sides that when they twist around, they form a circle. (That probably didn't make sense.) SO TRUE. :3 I eat a few scrambled eggs. ;) Huh, I didn't know that. Picture of Daphne. She does. Haha! That must have been quite a sight. Sorry for my slowness, but what do you mean by people knew you were close to the last person who'd get pregnant? It? :) What did MSeed do that's cute? Ugh, I feel so...stupid right now because I'm asking so many important questions... Me too. :D Haha, true that!

FlufferLover: You have a wonderfully detailed description of Sage! Haha, it's okay to go overboard -I do that a lot. :)

Curlscat: My brother is starting his first communion for church this year so he's going to have confirmation and he just had reconciliation. :) I'll be hurrying it up! :) And YAYA! I know right? Haha, I know. I wanted Matt to be wrong for once. :) Haha, I see your point. Thanks for pointing that out, and for the honest opinion. If I had written it then it probably would've had a different reason. :) Me too! Thanks. Yes she has. CONGRATULATIONS!

Athena: Thanks! Haha, funny story!

iiGabbyLove: Thanks and AU is Another Universe. BCC is AU because in this "universe" Mustardseed is Daphne's teacher/secret boyfriend and that would never happen in the real SG. :)

Clarinet Jazz: Haha, I'm glad!

Creamychocpudding786: I love Sage and only HE would do something like that. :) Thanks! I promise not too graphic (heck my friend is going to write it not me, yuck!), haha, or I might just put it as a oneshot all together. I'm going to have my friend do it, so I dunno. Okay!

Yorkie999777000: They could. :) Me neither. She did it when she was drunk at Matt's house, but I didn't write about it. When she woke up, Matt told her. Thanks that means a lot! Aww, those were really sweet things to say. Haha, that's be nice. :$ I'm not in High School yet, actually. I started FTFT in middle school and started BCC that summer, and I'm still in middle school right now. :) Like I said in the 1st chapter, I didn't write most of this, but thanks! I'm glad you enjoy my Puckabrina scenes. Just write what you feel and what makes you happy, and what you enjoy. :) No I don't. Sorry about that. I like to talk. :3 Well, "Ai" as in "Ai" and "pasko na naman" means "it's Christmas again". So "Ai, it's Christmas again!" Why? :) Maaybe. Your aunt? Wow. Four going to the same school...That's a lot...and I won't tell you about the mistake you made in there. ;) Haha, that's be funny. I am reading this whole thing. Haha, me too. HAA, your female one? Crazy. You're welcome. Haha. That's nice. You realize that if I published this I'd have to take this down from FanFiction? I don't think you'd like that. Sage hits on everybody. Good job. Percy Jackson. Cool. We already went over this, yes. That might be the case in some schools, but not all. Because some schools are too cheap. Not all want to spend money on high tech cameras. Don't think so. You're welcome.

: POLLLS! Haha, alrighty! Haha, I'm Glad you enjoyed that! Don't worry -we're all sarcastic and perverse friends here! :D ...LOLOLOLOLOLOLOLLLLLLL! Meow back at you.

As White As Snow: Haha, you're welcome! Happy...uhh, someday of December! :D According to my time zone!

Twilightfunatic: Haha, you're welcome! No don't worry -I fall in love with them all the time. :) First Puck, then Artemis Fowl, then Percy Jackson, Nico di Angelo, Chris Heywood, Jeremy Ross, Chase Evans...the list could go on and on and on! Uhhhh, actually not yet. They're going out not yet. :3 haha, don't think like that! I love your reviews! Thanks so much!

Aqua Cahill: Yessiree! Thanks! Lol, you want a cat? All right then. Haha, I'll keep those names under consideration. :)

Laylaenchantix101: Haha! I think that's because you read XxSkater2Girl16xX's version. :) Haha, that's great! Well, sort of. :D And I'm pretty sure it's because he wants to be reminded that Daphne has a different side when she's drunk that he's never seen before...a side he finds cute...her kinky side, ;)

Emowriter: OMDG (Oh My Demi-God!) Leo is the bomb. I'm on Team Leo! Why don't you like Piper? Yeah, Jason I can agree with -he seems...flat as a character. Seems you cried a lot. Haha, legitimately. Haha! More Sabrina and Puck? Arguing? I shall see what I can do. Aww. HAHA, seriously? Wow.

Cupincakes: Thanks!

GrimmGirlLove: Haha, I couldn't stop my laughs when I read, "SO MUCH SEXUAL TENSION OH MY GOD." hahaha! "Student! Student!" Whoosh fairy dust whoosh away!

Alexandra Jackson rocks Hades: Wow! How culturistic! You probably are if you have ADHD and can't read or write in English...poo. Horribly cliff-hang-y ending. :( Whoa. How coincidental! Thanks!

**MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERYBODY!**

-Lara

PS. **The world isn't ending.** Places like the Philippines and Australia realized that 24 hours before us. :D And only God knows when the world is going to end. :)


	24. Chapter 24: Persuasion

**A/N. **W-what is this?! Double chapters?! In one day?!

You're welcome.

Enjoy!

* * *

_Chapter 24: Persuasion_

When Daphne finally came to pick up Phillip, the relief that surrounded Matt was nearly palpable. He'd handed him over to her so fast you'd think Phillip was some type of time bomb.

"Thank you again for taking care of him today," Daphne thanked us for the twentieth time, pausing in front of the door. "I hope he wasn't too much trouble."

"Daphne was good with him," Matt told her, putting a hand around my waist. "If she wasn't here, your son might not have lived."

I gave him a reproachful look. "Matt."

Daphne laughed, obviously not offended. "I had a feeling you'd call someone to help you, so seeing Daphne already here was a nice surprise. I didn't feel as bad."

"Phillip is really cute," I told her, my eyes drifting to giggling child in her arms.

"Isn't he?" she responded happily. "He's going to grow up to be very easy on the eyes."

Matt frowned the tiniest bit. I furrowed my eyes in confusion at his action. Why would he frown at that? At the moment, I would have given anything to know what he was thinking. My first guess was that he was jealous— maybe he was thinking Daphne thought Terrance was better looking than him. However, I highly doubted that was the case…

"Maybe when you guys have children they'll be friends!" Daphne added excitedly. "That would be so cute! You guys have to have babies quickly!"

"Daphne," Matt started in a flat tone as my face flamed.

She giggled. "Oh, come on, Matt. I'm just teasing. Look at Daphne! She's blushing so hard!"

I dropped my head, slapping my hands to my cheeks to try to hide my blush. Of course I was blushing! She just basically told me to have sex with him! How could she say that so calmly?

"Don't tease her," Matt ordered, crossing his arms. "That's my job."

"I'll let you in on a secret," Daphne announced, ignoring his words. I looked up in time to see her grinning widely at us. "I'm pregnant. One month to be exact."

My eyes immediately dropped to her stomach. It was still completely flat. "Y-you're pregnant?"

"Uh-huh!"

"Congratulations," I said slowly, looking at Matt from the corner of my eyes. How did he feel about it?

To my surprise, he was grinning at her. "Yeah, congratulations," he echoed. "I remember how excited you used to get when you talked about having children."

"And I remember that spaced out look that would appear on your face when I did," she responded, laughing.

I awkwardly turned my attention to the random penny lying on the ground a few feet away from my feet. As much as I loved Matt, I didn't want to hear him talking with Daphne about his past relationship with her. We tended to shy away from the subject.

"Enough reminiscing," Matt stated. "Tell Terrance I said congratulations."

I looked up now, watching as Daphne nodded. "Sure! We're actually going to go out to dinner tonight. I should probably get going. Say bye, Phillip."

"Bye!" Phillip cried, closing and opening his fist.

"He's so cute!" I gushed, grinning like an idiot and waving back to him. "Bye-bye Phillip!

"Good riddance," Matt added wearily. Both Daphne and I pursed our lips at him. He cocked an eyebrow back at us. "You guys even have the same facial expression."

"Don't compare us," we snapped together. When I realized what I'd said, I turned to Daphne, who looked just as regretful as I felt. "No offense!" we said simultaneously, causing Matt to laugh.

"You better leave, Daphne, before you two form into the same person."

She nodded her agreement. "I'll see you guys later."

"Bye!" I called as she opened the apartment door. "Have a nice night!"

"You too!" she responded before shutting the door and leaving Matt and I in a calm silence.

Matt sighed heavily. "Finally, some peace and quiet."

"Are you going to bring me home now?" I questioned, turning my head toward him.

He frowned at me. "You want to leave right now?"

"Well, not at this exact moment, but—"

"Why don't you just stay over again?" he urged, lowering his voice so it came out more suave and sexy than usual.

I shook my head, trying to ignore the butterflies that appeared in my stomach. "I have a lot of homework to do, Matt."

"Do it tomorrow."

"I don't want to wait until the last minute."

"I'll keep you here by force," he warned me, gripping my wrists with his hands and pulling them far behind him so I was pulled to his chest.

With my face pressed to his shoulder, I couldn't speak coherently, so I struggled to liberate my wrists. After a second he brought them closer to me so I could move my head back. "That would be kidnap, wouldn't it?"

"True. I could also persuade you to stay."

"How so?"

His hands moved from my wrists to my waist, where he held me in place. I watched as he gradually began moving his head closer to mine. Closing my eyes, I stood still, waiting for the feel of his lips against mine. When they didn't come, I opened them again to see him smirking. I flushed, realizing how much of an idiot I probably looked like.

"Do you want me to kiss you?" he inquired.

"Yes," I mumbled.

"What? I can't hear you?"

I glowered at him. "I said yes!"

He gave me a swift peck on my lips before pushing me away gently. "There you go. Ready to go home?"

"What?"

"You said you wanted to go home," he notified me.

I shook my head, grabbing his arm. "First I want to kiss you."

He dodged my lips, turning his head to the side so I kissed his cheek. "Nope, you said you wanted to go home."

"Matt!"

"Daphne," he retorted teasingly.

My mind raced, trying to think of an excuse to get him to kiss me again. "Um, don't you want to get the rest of those Jeremy germs off?"

He shrugged. "I think we're good."

"What about…" I trailed off, thinking hard.

"If you want me to kiss you, tell me you'll stay."

Crossing my arms, I stared at him disapprovingly. "That's not fair, Matt."

He mimicked my stance. "Will it get you to stay?"

"Nope," I responded, turning my back on him and starting for the door. "Let's go—"

Suddenly his arm encased my upper arm, yanking me back. As I turned to face him, he captured my face in his hands, pressing his lips to mine roughly. After my initial shock faded I responded to it, wrapping my arms around his shoulders. Our kiss became deeper and he surprised me by abruptly sweeping my legs out from under me. I cried out in surprise, pulling away from him, and clinging to his shoulders for dear life. He chuckled at my expression as he carried me back into the living room. "Calm down. I'm not going to drop you," he told me.

I glowered at him. "I didn't think you would…"

"Well, I lied."

He removed his arms from me and I gasped as I felt my body rush through the hair for a split second before landing on the soft couch. When I tried to sit up, he pushed me back down, pressing his palm to my collarbone to keep me down.

"What are you doing?" I questioned warily.

"Getting more comfortable," he responded simply, climbing onto the couch so he was hovering over me.

I put my hands to his chest, trying to push him away. "No, Matt. I'm going home—"

He cut me off by pressing his lips to mine again. After a few seconds of trying to fight it, I succumbed to his expert style, our lips moving together perfectly. My arms went around his waist, pulling him down so that his chest was pressed against mine. I was starting to feel lightheaded when he finally pulled away. "Are you sure you don't want to stay?"

"That's not fair," I protested again, yearning for him to kiss me again, but wanting to go home and do work.

"I'll make you a deal," he told me, placing another soft kiss on my lips. "Want to hear it?"

I put a hand over my mouth so he couldn't kiss me again. If he kept kissing me, I knew I wouldn't want to go home. "What is it?"

He rolled his eyes at my action. "There are other places I can kiss, you know," he informed me, opting for my neck instead of my hand-covered lips.

I squirmed underneath him. "D-don't do that."

"If you stay," he started, pulling away from me, "I'll let you have a free pass from your biology homework."

"That's not fair to the other students."

He made a face. "I don't care."

"I'm going home, Matt."

He frowned. "What if I take you out to dinner?"

That got me. I peered at him hesitantly. "How would you do that?"

"We can drive to one of those fancy restaurants in Brooklyn or something," he told me, using one of his hands to peel mine off my mouth. "I'll buy you whatever you want to eat."

"We could really go out to eat?" I inquired dubiously.

"That's what I just said, isn't it?"

I bit my lip, debating. I really had to do my homework, but we never got to go out to eat…

"You have all day tomorrow to do your work," he coaxed, brushing his lips against my collarbone.

I sighed as tingles shot through my body. "What about my parents?"

"I'm not sure about Henry, but I'm sure Veronica's more willing to have you stay over than _you_ are."

A grimace passed across my face. "Sadly, I think that's true."

"So are you going to stay?" he asked again, pulling his head away from me. A cocky expression was on the face, showing he already knew my answer.

"Yes," I submitted meekly.

He gave me a quick peck the lips before rolling off of me and onto his feet in a very ninja-like way. "Grab your coat then."

I blinked up at him, pushing myself into a sitting position. "We're leaving already?"

"I don't know about _you_, but I'm starving. I don't know how long we'll have to wait for."

"Oh, okay," I mumbled, trying to roll off the couch like he did, but only succeeding in tumbling to the floor.

Matt laughed as he grabbed the front of my shirt, pulling me to my feet— not unlike the way he did the first time he ever helped me off the ground. "Careful, Bambi."

"Sure, Mufasa."

He rolled his eyes. "That's not even the same movie, Daphne."

I ignored him, trudging over to my backpack to pull out my coat. "Matt? Is it okay to go in such casual clothing?"

"Yeah," he called, sounding far away.

Turning around, I noticed he wasn't in the living room anymore. After shrugging on my coat I wandered to the front door, noticing Matt's keys hanging from the key hanger. I glanced over my shoulder to see if he was in the living room yet and seeing he wasn't, I snatched up the keys, putting them in my pocket.

"Ready Daphne?"

I jumped in surprise, twirling to see him emerging into the living room, an expensive looking peacoat over his body. My eyes dropped down to my knockoff brand, grey one. He definitely made them look better. "Yeah."

"Then hand over the keys."

I gawked at him. "How did you know I had them?"

He smirked. "Well for one we're the only two here, so you're the only one who could have taken them, for two you have your hand in your pocket, and for three, you can't trick me."

"Can I drive?" I pleaded, clenching my hand over the keys tighter.

"No."

"Why not? I'm a good driver!"

He shook his head, putting out a hand, palm up, for the keys. "Give them."

I straightened my back stubbornly, trying to look more intimidating. "No. I'm driving."

"Don't make me take them from you by force," he startled, slowly advancing toward me.

Holding my ground, I lifted my chin. "No…"

Suddenly he lunged toward me, shoving one of his hands into my pocket. I cried out in protest, trying to push him away from me. My efforts were useless though; he was much stronger than me. In a matter of seconds he'd yanked the keys from my hand. I scowled at him while he smiled smugly at me.

Time for a different approach.

Swallowing nervously, I moved myself closer to him, standing on my tiptoes. He moved forward to kiss me, but I turned my head so he couldn't. Moving my lips to his ear, I whispered in the most seductive voice I could muster. "Please?"

He froze up, inhaling a sharp breath of air. I smiled at his reaction, pleased my plan actually worked. Seductive generally wasn't in my description… at all.

"No," he finally breathed, trying to push me away.

I wrapped my arms around his waist, clinging to him tightly. He tried to pull his head away from me, but I just stretched my neck further, placing a gentle kiss on the hollow part beneath his ear. Once again he tensed. My heart was pounding so hard in my chest I was positive he could hear it. "Please?" I tried again, letting out my breath on his ear again.

He groaned. "Stop that."

"Say I can drive," I demanded, trying to bite back the smirk that was slipping onto my face. He was giving in.

"I…" He trailed off when I trailed my lips down his neck. "Okay, okay!" he gave in, now using all his force to shove me away. He looked flushed as I grinned in victory. Narrowing his eyes, he gave me back the keys. "Next time you do that, be prepared."

"Prepared for what?" I asked, furrowing my eyebrows.

Amusement flashed in his eyes. "Well you'll find out when that time happens. Now let's go. And don't kill us."

"I won't," I told him, rolling my eyes. "I really am a good driver."

"Whatever," he grunted.

Driving with Matt was something I instantly regretted. He was the worst backseat (or should I say passenger seat?) driver I've ever met. Every five seconds he'd reach over to take the wheel because I was driving "too close to the yellow line" or "too close to the curb". What made things worse was the fact I didn't know where I was going, so he had to tell me when to make a turn, which was making me even more nervous. Luckily for us, the roads were mostly empty which meant no danger hazards. By the time we reached the restaurant— we'd ended up just going to Uno's— my nerves were shot. I staggered out of the car, letting out a breath of relief.

"And this is why I don't let you drive," Matt stated.

I glowered at him. "Maybe if you didn't snap at me all the time!"

He rolled his eyes. "I didn't snap at you. I just wanted you to be careful."

"It's not like I was going to crash," I huffed, crossing my arms.

Smiling, he forced me to uncross my arms, taking one of my hands into his. "But I didn't want to take the chance. Imagine if you _had_ crashed. I would feel terrible."

"How would you feel terrible?" I questioned, cocking an eyebrow. "You're not the one who would have caused it… Well actually, with the way you were snapping at me…"

He ignored my jeer, dragging me toward the restaurant. "It'd be my fault for letting you drive. If something happened to either one of us, you would feel like it was your fault though, which would also make me feel bad."

"I am a good driver though," I murmured, looking up at him.

He ruffled my hair. "But not as good as me."

"You're being such a worry wart!"

"Seeing as how my mom died in a car accident, I think I'm justified."

My heart skipped a beat. As his words sunk in, realization also set in, making me feel bad. "Oh… Right. I'm sorry—"

"Don't apologize," he said lightheartedly. "Forget I said anything. That was kind of a low blow."

"No, you're right," I admitted. "You have a right to be worried, but I can drive well."

"How long have you had your license for?"

I hesitated for a moment. "Umm… I'm not sure actually."

He frowned at me. "Pull it out and let me see."

"Okay." My hand went automatically to my pocket, where I usually kept my license, cash, and ATM card. To my surprise, it was empty. A hollow feeling spread through my chest. "Oh no…"

"What?" Matt asked in an alarmed tone, looking around the parking lot.

I stared at him in horror. "I just drove without my license. It's back at your house!"

He returned my look with a blank one. Shaking his head, he let out a sigh. "You scared me for a second."

"I can't believe I drove illegally!" I whispered in a panicked voice. "What if we'd gotten pulled over?"

"Calm down," Matt ordered, holding the door to the restaurant open for me. "I use to drive without a license all the time."

"You were in a gang!"

He nodded. "True."

"Don't be so calm about this!"

A quiet chuckle escaped his lips as he threw an arm around my waist, dragging me closer to him. "Don't get so worked up. We're going to have a nice dinner, so be happy."

For a second I grumbled under my breath about his nonchalant attitude, but decided to drop it. I didn't get caught. There wasn't a problem.

Both of us did an automatic scan of the place to see if there was anyone we knew. Fortunately the coast was clear. An aged old woman waitress led us to a table in the back, completely out of sight from the front of the place. She smiled warmly at Matt and I as we took our seats. I smiled back awkwardly.

"You look nervous," she commented. "First date?" Her eyes shot to Matt and then back to me, her eyebrows wagging suggestively.

A warm blush spread across my face. "No, actually…" I trailed off. Technically, this _was_ our first date. Trips to the grocery store certainly didn't count. The wedding could have, but we were with other people then, and my birthday was a birthday dinner.

"Actually, it is," Matt announced, seemingly coming to the same realization I did.

The old woman beamed. "How lovely! What would you two like to drink?"

"Coke," we responded at the same time.

"Just so you guys know, we have a menu right next to the salt shaker with our alcoholic drinks."

"Soda is fine," Matt responded smoothly.

She nodded her head. "Okay, I'll be back with your drinks and to take your order in a second."

As she hobbled off, I peered at Matt curiously. He noticed me staring and frowned. "What?"

"Why don't you drink alcohol?"

"I don't like it," he responded simply. "Nor do I enjoy getting drunk."

I nodded my head in understanding. "You do realize you can drink without getting drunk, right?"

"I said I don't like it."

My next words died in my mouth at his tone. Obviously he didn't want to talk about this anymore. Did he have bad experiences with alcohol? I imagined he could. He was in a gang after all.

"What are you planning to get?" he asked, picking up one of the menus in front of us.

"Er…" I hesitated, grabbing the other menu. There was no way I was going to get something too messy to eat in front of him. "Probably a salad…"

He gave me a flat look. "If you're dieting, you don't need to—"

"No, I just like the chicken they serve with it," I half-lied. I _did_ like the chicken. "What are you going to have?"

He smiled. "Steak, of course."

My stomach rumbled at the thought. Maybe I could get… I shook my head. Steak was expensive. I didn't want to make him pay too much.

Our waitress appeared moments later, our soda in her hand. After placing them down in front of us, she pulled out a notepad. "What can I get you two?"

Matt ordered for both of us, smiling in amusement when the waitress gave me a pitying look when I ordered a salad. I grit my teeth together in annoyance. What was the big deal? A lot of people ordered salads!

"You kind of remind me of my mom," Matt commented suddenly, leaning back in my seat. "She didn't like to eat in front of my dad when they were dating either. Or that's what my dad told me at least."

My eyes widened snapped to his. He never talked about his parents. "Really? What was she like?" I asked, taking advantage of the moment. "I sort of remember her from when we did your dad's case, but I never really got to know her."

"People, when first meeting her, thought she was this tight lipped, highly, powerful, egoistical lady. But actually, and I doubt you'll believe this, but she was pretty clumsy and fun. She really liked animals, too," he told me. "My dad never knew this, but when she went out, she would give pigeons and those stray cats and dogs leftovers from our meals." A grin spread across his face. "She was really smart too. Didn't like to clean. A _horrible _cook."

"What about your dad?" I pressed.

A flicker of sadness crossed his face, making me regret asking. After a moment he put his elbow on the table, resting his head on his fist. "Well, he's pretty much always been the King of Faerie, but…well, he wanted to be a teacher."

That surprised me. "Really?"

Matt nodded. "That's why I became a teacher. Another fact was my parole officer kind of said I had to do that or… Well, never mind."

"You can't—" I started to protest, curiosity burning at me. He never talked about his time in jail or after it either. I frowned when I realized he never talked about himself.

"The interesting thing is my dad could've been a teacher if his brother hadn't died," he interjected, shaking his head. "Not many people knew he had a brother because Shakespeare wrote about us after my dad was already king. His brother was next in line for the throne, but he died in battle."

"How old physically was your mom and dad when…the accidents happened?" I mumbled, my chest constricting.

He stayed quiet for a moment. "When my dad was poisoned, and when my mom was hit? I think around thirty and forty. I know there was a five-year difference between my dad and my mom. What about your parents?"

"What about them?"

"What are they like?"

"Well, you've met my mom a lot of times, though, so you know what she's like."

"I sure do," Matt said, cracking a grin.

I couldn't help but return the smile. "My dad…he's overbearing, protective, but funny. And he has a temper, haha."

"That must be nice to have a dad that constantly worries for your safety."

I thought about it, then nodded. "Yeah, I guess you're right."

"Tell me what they do."

My mind raced for information. "Let's see…well, my mom is obviously helping the Everafters to rebuild the community. But her human job is working as an accountant. My dad has had a lot of different jobs. Right now, he does something with national sales and marketing. He goes all over the place, so that's why he's not with us often. But he did have another job before -I guess he was a teacher at one point. That's how he met my mom…"

Matt furrowed his eyebrows. "She was a teacher?"

"Er… No. He was her teacher."

It took a second for my words to set in, but when they did, Matt let out a sharp bark of laughter. "So that's why your mom was so calm about our relationship."

"That's what I thought," I responded with a smile. "When she told me I was like, wow."

"Like mother like daughter," Matt commented just like my mom had.

After a few more minutes of idle chat, our food arrived. Matt's steak looked and smelled absolutely terrific. I glowered at the salad in front of me. Why had I chosen it again? Sighing internally, I picked up a piece of chicken and popped it into my mouth. I made a face. It definitely wasn't as good as I remembered.

"Say 'ah'."

I looked up to see Matt holding out his fork to me, a small piece if steak on the end of it. My face flushed when I realized what he wanted me to do and I shook my head. "N-no!"

"Come on," he urged, a smirk playing at his lips.

I pressed my lips together tightly, shaking my head again. "Mm-mm."

He jabbed it against my lips. "I won't stop until you take it."

I glared at him for a moment before resigning and opening my mouth. In a very childish manner, he made an airplane noise as he placed the end of the fork into my mouth. I used my teeth to scrape the meat off of it as he pulled it out.

"That wasn't so hard was it?" he teased.

"It's embarrassing," I muttered, dropping my eyes.

He chuckled. "No one was watching. But I saw the way you eyed my meal."

I ignored him, stabbing my fork into a piece of lettuce. "I'm perfectly happy."

"Sure," he responded skeptically. "Whatever. More of this juicy steak for me."

I placed the lettuce into my mouth, giving him a dry look. He lifted his fork to his mouth, a new piece of steak on it. Slowly, he put it in, fake groaning in delight. I rolled my eyes at his antics. "If you keep groaning, someone will think something."

A wicked look flashed in his eyes. "Like what?"

"Like… nothing," I said quickly, looking away in embarrassment.

"Get your mind out of the gutter, Daphne," he taunted lightly.

I stared at my food, shoving a cherry tomato into my mouth, nearly choking as the juice from it flooded my mouth. My hand shot up to cover it, embarrassment keeping my eyes on the ground.

"You're so cute, Daphne."

After wiping my mouth, I gave him a flat look. "How was that cute?"

"Everything you do is cute to me."

"I…"

He offered me another piece of his steak. This time he let me take the fork. "Thanks," I muttered before putting it into my mouth.

"Don't thank me. I don't mind sharing with you," he told me, his piercing grey eyes never leaving mine.

A flash of guilt suddenly went through me. He was being so nice…"Hey Matt?"

"Yes?"

I took a deep breath. "Jackson knows Bryant."

* * *

**A/N. **DUN DUN DUNN!

Sorry it was shortish! In the original version, Holly/Daphne and Chris/Matt talk about their families. In the original version, both of Chris' parents died and Holly's dad died in the same car accident.

But anyways, I won't be updating until…maybe next Saturday. I will post a Christmas one-shot on Christmas, of course, so put me on your Author Alerts and be on the lookout for a new one-shot! It might be in the crossover section, though, so that's why I think you should put me on Author Alerts.

Hope you're satisfied with double updates! It's 10 PM, though, so I'm going to sleep now. Have a very Merry Christmas, everybody!

*Puck walks in with baby Nathan* Nathan: And God bless us, everyone!

~Lara


	25. Chapter 25: Alone

**A/N. I** **hope you all had a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!**^-^

**You know how I usually post a one-shot on New Year's? I will post that sometime next week (?)** because I haven't gotten around to writing it yet. :3 Sorry about that. I was finishing up some Spanish extra credit and had to babysit today, so I had no writing time. :3 I'm pretty sure this is going to be my actual Sage one-shot so keep your eyes on the lookout!

**Thanks to all who prayed for my Tito Alberto.**It meant so much to me. I'm confident that he is now with the Lord and smiling. :)

By the way...WE HAVE NOW HIT THE 500 mark! *faints* I love you guys! Pats on the back, and treats for all!** The 500th reviewer was...iiGabbyLove!**(How's this for a birthday treat? ;D) Four questions of any kind may be asked of me! :)

Important announcement: Yes, folks, **it is that time of year AGAIN -THE BEST SISTERS GRIMM STORY OF 2012! Whoop, whoop!**

Again -for those that supported FtFT during that time last year thank you SO MUCH. FtFT could not have won TBSGS2011 without you all. :)

Now this year, BCC has been nominated, yay! Though I'm not sure if it's eligible to enter since its counterpart (counterpart?) won last year, but thanks to those who nominated this story so far…

**iizninja, twilightfunatic, and Airene Archerway**

Though this list is not as big as "Arranged Marriages and Wars of State", "Juliet Never Wore Converses", nor "Cold Feet" by a _long _shot, (voted for those by the way! ^-^) **that makes me **_**seriously **_**happy.**

With that said, **GO NOMINATE YOUR FAVORITES! **There are a lot of SG stories that are amazing times a BILLION (*cough*AMaWoS/CF/JNWC/SubRosa/NMW/and-not-mentioned*cough*)!

I'm excited to see what stories will be participating this year! I know there's going to be QUITE a lot. :)

So...Nominate away! And here is your Behind Closed Classrooms chapter!

Enjoy!

* * *

_Chapter 25: Alone_

"I want to try the chicken."

"Huh?"

Matt ignored my confusion, jabbing his fork into my salad, and retrieving a piece of my chicken. He studied it for a moment before placing it cautiously into his mouth. After a second he made a face. "Undercooked."

I stared at him, trying to make sense of what was happening. Why wasn't he angry? I'd just told him Jackson knew Bryant! There should have been some type of reaction from him. "Matt, I—"

"Want another piece of steak?"

"No, I—"

"More for me."

My eyes widened in disbelief. Why was he avoiding the subject? Maybe he didn't hear me right. "Matt, Jackson knows—"

He interrupted me by yawning loudly. "I wonder what kind of deserts they have here…"

"Mr. Firay!" I burst angrily, setting my fist down on the table. "I'm trying to tell you something! Stop interrupting me!"

A flicker of amusement appeared in his eyes. "Mr. Firay?"

I flushed, not releasing my angry gaze. "Matt, whatever."

"Why would you ruin a nice dinner by saying that?"

"Huh?"

His stern eyes bore into my own. "You know, Daphne."

"I-I just thought you'd want to know," I responded, my voice faltering under his gaze.

A light sigh left his lips and he shook his head. "You really know how to ruin the mood."

"Sorry," I snapped.

He chuckled, reaching across the table to put his hand over mine. "It's fine, Daphne. Really. But since you brought it up we're going to talk about it, and you're going to tell me _everything_, got it?"

"Well the thing is…"

"Daphne."

"He didn't really tell me anything else," I confessed, lowering my gaze to my salad plate, zeroing in on a round cherry tomato. I hadn't really thought about what would happen after I told him. Didn't Jackson warn me not to tell him?

Matt squeezed my hand roughly. "Look up, Daphne."

Begrudgingly, I did. "Jackson also warned me not to tell you he told me, so make so he doesn't find out I told you."

"He threatened you?"

"No, warned."

The change in Matt's demeanor was drastic. He no longer looked lighthearted and happy. He looked angry. "It's the same thing."

"No it's not," I protested quietly.

"What are you talking about? Yes it is. I'm going to force that boy to tell me everything he knows."

I shook my head vigorously. "No!"

"Why not?" he demanded.

"You can't!" I told him, looking sternly into his eyes. "He told me not to tell you!"

"So?"

"That means I wasn't supposed to tell you, but I did because we promised, so you need to keep it a secret."

He sighed lightly. "I can't do that, Daphne."

My heart pounded in my chest. What was he not getting about my words? I didn't know how I could make it any more obvious! We didn't know what Jackson would do if he found out! "This is why I didn't tell you Matt!" I finally said, yanking my hand away from him.

His eyes hardened. "What is why?"

"This!" I exclaimed, gesturing toward him with my hand. "You shove your nose into other people's business—"

"This is _my _business."

"No! It's _mine! _I can take care of it myself!"

"If it's connected to Bryant, then it's mine," Matt stated simply, narrowing his eyes. "If Jackson knows Bryant, then he needs to be taken care of. I don't want even the presence of Bryant near you, Daphne."

I glowered at him. "Taken care…" I repeated in disbelief. "Bryant can't do anything to me. He's in jail now."

Matt didn't look convinced. "I still need to talk to Jackson, Daphne."

"What about the consequences? Are you even giving those a thought?" I demanded.

Off the top of my brain I could think of twenty different ones— the main one being that somehow Jackson could find out about Matt and me and tattletale on us. I didn't know for sure why Jackson thought Sage and I were dating, but now that I knew Jackson knew Bryant I didn't have a doubt in my mind that it was Bryant who had implanted the idea into his head.

"You're over thinking it," Matt informed me, breaking my train of thought. "You worry too much."

"You worry too little!" I retorted loudly.

He gave me a warning look, telepathically telling me to quiet down. With a little bit of struggle I managed to calm myself down enough so that I wasn't shaking in anger. A few moments of silence passed by us. I glared angrily at my food. Wasn't he at least a little bit worried? What if he went up to Jackson, and Jackson decided to retaliate because I told Matt? What if Jackson attacked Matt for knowing? How come Matt didn't understand that could happen? He knew what kind of person Jackson was! He _knew _what Jackson tried before! We didn't know what Jackson would do to _him!_

"Even in jail, Bryant is still dangerous," Matt started slowly, pinching the bridge of his nose. "You're a trouble magnet, Daphne."

"You could be in trouble too!"

"But I'm not the magnet."

I scowled at him. "As long as you don't say anything to Jackson, we're fine."

A muscle in his jaw jumped as he brought his hand back down to the table. "Daphne, drop it. I'm talking with Jackson."

I let out a frustrated groan. "_No_, Matt! If you say something to him he might do something to one of us! Think about it!"

"He won't do anything to you," he assured me.

"It's not just about me Matt! It's you too. After last year…"

Matt's gaze softened for a minute. "Daphne, nothing like that will ever happen again. I promise."

"You don't know that!"

"You don't have to be paranoid," he insisted.

I shook my head. "I'm not!"

"I won't let him do anything to you," he promised, his eyes hard. "Or me," he added quickly when he saw my mouth open in response.

My eyes pierced directly into his. I tried to look as serious as I could. "You can't Matt."

He offered me a small smile. "Calm down, Daphne. It will be fine."

I clenched my fists. He didn't get it. "I shouldn't have told you," I muttered. "I should have known you would react this way."

"What way?" he responded, sounding just as exasperated as I felt.

"You're not in a gang anymore, Matt. This isn't how normal people settle things," I told him snippily.

A taken aback look took over his face for a split-moment before it turned into a scowl— the kind of scowl he'd only give Bryant and Jackson. "I know I'm not in a gang anymore."

"Well you're acting like it!"

He shook his head. "I don't think you understand—"

"No you don't understand!" I cried, becoming aware of the moisture that was growing in my eyes. "You don't get it! If something doesn't happen to me, he might try something on you!"

"I can take care of myself, Daphne. You should know that."

"That doesn't matter!" I protested. "Just don't say anything, please!"

He crossed his arms. "I want to help you."

I faltered a little bit. I already knew he just wanted to help me. But I didn't want to put his job on the line, our _relationship _on the line, just because Jackson knew Bryant! "I know, Matt. But please. If anything else happens I'll let you know, and _then _you can do something— I'll help you do something!"

"I don't want anything else to happen though," he pointed out in an aggravated voice.

"Matt! Please!"

He gave me a wary look. "I'm doing what I want to do."

My chest constricted at his words. Why wasn't he listening to me? I listened to him all the time! The least he could do was respect my wishes at least once! I shouldn't have mentioned it to him. I should have talked to Sage— that way it would have relieved my guilt and kept everyone safe. "I shouldn't have told you," I said quietly.

"You promised to tell me."

"Yeah, I did, and I kept that promise! The least you could've done is kept it a secret like it's supposed to be!"

Now it was his turn to groan in frustration. "Please, Daphne. We're dropping this. Just eat."

"I should have just mentioned it to Sage," I muttered just loud enough for him to hear me. "He would've been more rational about it."

He snorted. "Sage?"

"Yes, Sage."

"The one who punched Jackson the other night?"

I narrowed my eyes. "You punched him too."

Matt set down his fork with a loud clatter. "Sage, huh? You go to Sage for your problems now?"

"I—"

"Fine. You have Sage take care of this," he said nonchalantly.

I blinked at him. He was okay with Sage doing it? It felt like a megaton weight was lifted off my chest. Sage would definitely keep it a secret for me. This way neither Matt nor I would be in trouble. Sage could handle it. "Thank—"

"And while he's at it, you can have Sage take care of you."

The weight returned to my chest, nearly crushing me. I inhaled sharply, my eyes becoming as round as saucers. "H-huh?"

With his jaw clenched, Matt pushed away from the table. "You seem to like him more than me nowadays, anyway. Neither of you two would mind since you're already _dating_."

I couldn't move. I couldn't tear my gaze away from his angry face. I couldn't deny what he was saying. Panic bubbled up in me. Why couldn't I speak? Why couldn't I correct him?

"Here's money for dinner and a cab," he said, tossing a few twenties onto the table. "I'm sure you know Sage's home address."

My mouth opened, but no words came out. Tears sprung to my eyes again as he pushed the chair back in, keeping his eyes off of me. After a few minutes of mentally screaming at myself, I finally found my voice. "Wait, Matt—"

"It's cold, so keep my jacket." With that, he turned his back on me, heading toward the front of the restaurant.

"Matt!" I called after him, attempting to push myself away from the table as well. My legs felt like Jell-O as soon as I put my weight on them and I collapsed back into my seat. My mind was racing. I couldn't think of a coherent thought. One question kept repeating in my head: _What the _hell_ just happened?_

When the answer hit me, it brought new tears to my eyes. We had a fight. Our first major fight as a couple. Over something completely ridiculous! I whipped my head back to the front of the restaurant, scanning for Matt. He wasn't there anymore. I turned my attention to the pile of twenties and half-eaten plate of food across from me. He wasn't really just going to leave me here… was he? I already knew the answer.

He was.

He was mad at me too.

Doing my best to withhold my tears, I stuck a shaky hand into Matt's jacket pocket, pulling out my cell phone. Contrary to his words, I had no idea where Sage _actually _lived— I only knew where his parent's house was. I could go home, but my parents weren't expecting me and if I did show up they'd interrogate me, which I didn't want. So I dialed Sage's number, having to do it three times to get the correct one because of the quivering of my fingers. After five rings, the phone went to voicemail. I tried again, only to receive the voicemail message again. New tears sprung to my eyes and I rubbed at them furiously when I noticed a buster coming toward my table.

"Are you all set with this?" he inquired, nodding toward my plate.

I nodded my head in response.

"And your date's?"

"Yeah," I mumbled, my eyes dropping to Matt's abandoned plate… Would he want me to bring it back for him? That is if he wanted to see me. No, he was the one to leave. He can waste his money. "Take it away."

The waiter nodded, flashing me a handsome smile. "Right away, ma'am."

I forced a smile back before pushing myself up from the table. Half of me was tempted just to leave Matt's coat on the chair, but I grabbed it at the last second, throwing it over my shoulder. I didn't bother counting the money on the table— it was definitely enough for the meal and tip. Our waitress was going to be very happy.

When I emerged outside, the first thing I looked for was Matt's car. My eyes landed on the empty parking spot immediately. He really did leave. I bit my lip to stop myself from crying. He had every right to leave. I was the one who brought this upon us. I should have just kept my mouth shut!

Fighting back tears again I tried one last desperate attempt to call Sage. Relief flooded me when he actually answered this time. "Super Awesome Sage here! How may I help you, Ultra Dandy Daphne?" In the background I could hear people talking loudly and laughing merrily.

"Where are you?" I questioned, trying to keep my voice as calm and level as possible. It sounded like he was out with friends.

"I'm at the pub with some friends, why? Need something I might have on me?" he hinted suggestively.

I didn't even think to respond to his innuendo. "Oh, never mind. Bye—"

"Wait a second, Daphne. Something's wrong."

"No it's not, bye Sage."

"Wait!" he demanded loudly. "I know that tone of voice and you don't ignore my jibes like that! Tell me where you are right now."

I stayed silent for a moment. "Uno's," I finally whispered, feeling my throat constricting again.

"Where's Matt?"

"He left."

Sage was silent for a moment. "He _what?_"

"Can you come pick me up?" I asked, my voice breaking. "I want to leave," I continued, tears now running freely down my cheeks.

"I'm coming right now."

"I'm sorry."

He snorted. "Don't be. I won't leave you alone at this time of night. I'll be there in about ten minutes. Are you okay for the moment? Do you want to wait inside?"

"I'll be on the sidewalk in front," I said miserably. "See you soon."

"Stay safe, Daphne."

We both hung up and I slowly lowered myself to the ground, pulling my knees up to my chest, and putting my face in them. For a few minutes I breathed deeply, trying to get my emotions out of control. It was just a fight. I didn't need to cry so much. Even if Matt was angry with me… Even though he never got angry. I bit my lip once more, this time more roughly, as my eyes watered again. I knew Sage was going to make me explain everything that happened and I knew I was going to cry then. There was no point in wasting my tears.

As punctual as usual, Sage showed up exactly ten minutes later, slamming the breaks to his car as he came across me. I stood up, opening the passenger side, and sliding in. He checked me out quickly— probably making sure I was physically okay. Uncomfortable under his gaze, I pursed my lips at him. He gave me a sheepish grin. "Just making sure no one tried to mug you during the time it took for me to get here."

"No one did. I don't have any money on me anyway."

He nodded, shifting the car into drive. "Okay, where are we going?"

"Your place."

"Your— Wait, what? My place?" he repeated, his eyes widening. "Why?"

I lowered my gaze to the dashboard. "I don't want to go home…"

"What happened?"

An almost inaudible sigh left my lips. There was no escaping from Sage. So I explained what happened to him, putting in every bit of detail I could so he could help me make sense of things. Surprisingly reciting it to Sage made me feel a lot better— I didn't even tear up. When I finished, a smirk was lingering on his face. I stared at him blankly. Nothing seemed amusing to me.

"What's so funny?" I finally snapped.

He shook his head, grinning still. "It's not your fault Matt is mad."

"Yes it is. I insulted him," I responded solemnly. "I probably offended him with that gang comment…"

Once again Sage shook his head. "No, Matt is definitely just jealous."

"No he's not."

"Yes he is. He's still angry about me kissing you today. I bet the whole thing about Jackson thinking you and I are dating was gnawing at him too. You shouldn't have mentioned me."

"B-but he wanted to tell Jackson I knew! It's completely stupid!"

Sage frowned. "That's true… I'll talk him out of that. Unlike you, I can use violence against him."

My eyes widened. "No! Don't hit him!"

"I'm kidding," he responded with a chuckle. "Don't worry, I'll talk to him about it. It'd be really stupid if he did mention it."

"Finally someone who understands! I knew you would!" _Take that Matt!_

Sage smiled. "Although I bet right now Matt is pulling out his hair in frustration. That or he's driving back to the restaurant to pick you up."

I glanced out the window. Would Matt really go back? He seemed really angry—unjustly angry. And he was the one to leave me in the first place. "Well, it's too late now."

"If he calls should I tell him you're not with me? To worry him?"

For a minute I debated about it. It wouldn't be very nice to do that to him, but he kind of deserved it… I shook my head. No, he didn't deserve that. I couldn't imagine what it would feel like if he went suddenly missing after our argument. "Let him know I'm with you."

"Are you sure? I can tell him you went to your mom's…"

"No, we're being honest with each other," I muttered. "Even though it's a really un-coolio idea."

Sage laughed again. "Only in some situations. This is my house."

My gaze went out the window, where it fell on a quaint, one-story home. By the dim light that was lit by the front door, I could tell the siding was brown and the trimming was white. The yard looked pretty well kept as well— I couldn't see a single weed or over grown grass blade. I looked at Sage, impressed. "You keep your yard pretty tidy."

"Well if the lights were on, you would see my neighbor's lawns and you'd understand. I think I'd be murdered if I didn't keep my clean."

"It looks like an old person lives here, not a twenty year old."

Sage laughed awkwardly. "Yeah…"

As it turns out, I spoke too soon. Sage's house was a pigsty. The first room we entered was the kitchen, which wasn't too bad. The sink was getting pretty full of dishes, but other than that it was okay. The living room floor was littered with magazines, newspapers, and jackets. The couch was covered with pillows, and about a dozen abandoned cans of Coke were on the island table. Sage scratched the back of his head when I cocked an eyebrow.

"Matt's apartment is ten times better than this."

"Matt is older."

"By like, two years."

Sage jutted out his chin. "Two years and three months."

I rolled my eyes. "Whatever. Tomorrow we're cleaning this place a little bit before I leave."

"Okay, Mom," he responded sarcastically. "Do you want some pajamas?"

"I want Matt's," I mumbled, following Sage down a hallway that I assumed led to his bedroom. "Yours are probably dirty."

Sage scowled at me over his shoulder. "I'll have you know my room is perfectly clean!"

I gave him a skeptical look. He paused in front of a door, pushing it open proudly. Warily I moved forward, peeking into the room. It was pretty clean— aside from the few pairs of pants and socks that were scattered around the room. There was a dresser in the far right corner with at least ten different types of cologne and deodorant on it. Sage's king-sized bed was settled right smack in the middle of the room, brown and white comforters and pillows on it. "Nice room."

"Thanks." He went over to his dressed and rifled around in it for a few minutes, tossing me a pair of pajama pants and a shirt. "Put those on."

I stared at the shirt in my hand, furrowing my eyebrows. It was really familiar, but it wasn't mine… With a gasp, I realized it was Ariana's. "Why do you have Ariana's shirt, Sage?"

He smirked at me.

I looked at him in horror. "You guys… You didn't…?"

"We didn't," he assured me with a hearty laugh. "When we went out to eat after the dance, I spilled soda on her shirt so I just gave her one of mine to wear while I washed hers. I haven't given it back yet."

"Oh."

He wagged his eyebrows. "What did you think we did?"

I blushed, turning my back to him. "Nothing. Close your eyes. I'm changing."

"There's a bathroom you know."

"Where?"

"Right down the hall," he told me, nodding his head toward the door. "First door on the left."

I followed his directions, finding the bathroom easily. After shutting and locking the door, I began to strip. My phone was on the sink. It began to buzz when I was halfway through putting Ariana's shirt on. I yanked it the rest of the way before snatching up my phone. The Caller I.D showed it was Matt. For a minute, I hesitated about answering it. Finally, I decided not to. I wasn't quite ready to talk to him yet. Five seconds later I heard Sage's phone ringing. After pulling on my pants, I left the bathroom, heading back for his room.

"Yes, Daphne is with me," I heard Sage saying. I paused before the door, holding my breath to listen. "No, you're not allowed to talk to her. What do you mean why? You know why Matt. You can't do shit like that to her. I don't want to hear your excuses. You know she loves you, not me. It hurts her when you accuse her of something like that— yes, Matt. _I _was the one who kissed _her_. Not the other way around!"

They were arguing about me? My heart went out to Sage. He was too nice.

"And why do you think that is? No. I'm not letting you talk to her. I already took away her phone too, so don't bother calling. Yeah, I get that. But you literally left her alone at a restaurant. That's the worst. She's staying with me tonight, and I'm bringing her home tomorrow so don't worry about it. Yeah. No. No. She's busy. Oh, I don't know, crying her heart out because of the words you said to her. No, I'm not lying!"

An uncomfortable feeling spread in my stomach. Matt should feel guilty about what happened, but I felt guilty for allowing Sage to do that to him. I knew I should cut in, but I couldn't bring myself to do it.

"You better not say one word to Jackson," Sage threatened. "We'll talk about this tomorrow. I'm going to check on Daphne. Don't bother coming over here. I won't let you in."

Sage suddenly looked up, catching my eyes. We both shared embarrassed grins. I slowly slipped into the room as Sage abruptly said goodbye to Matt, snapping his phone shut. I cupped my elbow with my left hand. "So, um… interesting conversation."

"Sorry," he apologized. "I just wanted him to think about your argument. He'll realize what you said was more rational. He just needs some time. And he's _so _jealous of me."

"Are you sure you should say that stuff to him though? Aren't you his best friend?"

Sage nodded. "But a best friend should let the other know when they're wrong. Besides, I've never had the chance to bitch him out before. It was fun," he ended with a wide grin.

"I think you just made him mad at both of us…"

"He'll get over it, I promise," Sage said, pushing himself off the bed. "I don't know about you, but I need to take a shower because I didn't this morning."

"I took one this morning."

He walked over to this dresser, pulling out another pair of pajamas. "Okay. You can watch T.V or something while I shower if you want."

I glanced at his bed. "Actually, I kind of just want to sleep."

"You can use my bed," he said, noticing my stare. "I'll sleep on the couch."

"Are you sure?"

"Positive."

I chewed the inside of my lip. "Thanks Sage…"

A few minutes later I felt a pair of arms around me. "Don't thank me, Daphne. This is what friends are for. Especially when the friend in need had a fight with her significant other."

"I know," I mumbled, my voice cracking again as a new wave of sorrow washed over me. I turned around so I could hug him back. "I'm sorry, Sage. I'm being unusually emotional."

"I would be too if I was in a fight with the person I love," he responded, rubbing my back soothingly. "Go get some sleep."

Nodding my head, I let go of him, and trudged over to his bed. It was surprisingly comfortable as I sunk onto it, climbing under the covers. I stared at my phone for a few seconds, debating whether to send a text to Matt or not. It would be impossible to fall asleep knowing he was still angry with me. Finally I decided to send him one. Not apologizing, not saying anything but one word: _Night_.

It was a horrible minute of torture with the thoughts he wouldn't text me back before he finally did. A huge sigh of relief left my lips as I clicked open the text.

_Night, Daphne_.

A small smile spread across my lips. It was enough for me.

* * *

**A/N.** **QotU Winner: Curlscat **because her answer was something I'd also probably do, and she was the only one who answered, so she wins by default.

New QotU: **How was your Christmas and what is your 2013 resolution (or if not) and why? **(No winner for this one because I think moments like these should be shared because you Want to, not because you're trying to Win something.)

By the way, **I posted a new story, Mischief and Fun**, which is going to be a fairly short RotG/SG crossover about Puck who is trying to revert back to being the Trickster King with the help of "ghosts" aka North, Bunnymund, Tooth, and Sandman. So if you could, please take a look at it? For those that don't really like crossovers, totally fine, you don't have to read because I ask you to. :)

The first chapter isn't really my finest work :/ but I'm so excited to write this short story! I promised a SG/Artemis Fowl crossover when I first started FF and that never happened. Then I posted a poll with PJO/SG (that shall be started after BCC is finally over), but haven't started anything yet. So, now that I've actually posted the first chapter of my very first real crossover...well, I'm psyched! So I hope that if you fancy/tolerate crossovers, you'll take the time to check it out and give me feedback of any kind. :) Thanks!

**Review Replies:**

Curlygirl23: Haha! Here's your chapter, thanks!

CupinCakes: Haha, I'm glad you enjoyed the chapter! Don't worry -more action will be coming your way!

Key-2-Soul: Aw, thank you so much! Your comment meant a lot to me, thanks! Haha, I love them together, too! :D

: Hahaha, it's all so wrong? LOL! Did you get that from Big Time Rush? Haha, you're so very welcome! You deserve to win! :)

FlufferLover: Probably never thought of it, haha! Awesome idea by the way!

iiGabbyLove: Haha, I'm glad you had fun! Ah, I'm still on a RotG craze after watching it like two weeks ago...

Curlscat: (CHAPTER 24 REVIEW) Thanks for pointing out the errors...again. :3 I have no idea what I'd do without you. :D True, true! Worst, not worse, got it. Haha, I can imagine -you don't seem like the seductive type. Heehee, sorry about the cliffy, but glad you liked it! Sorry about the steaminess. :3 (CHAPTER 23 REVIEW:) Heehee, thanks! ^-^ I promise though -after BCC is finally finished, there will be no more editing someone else's stuff. It is a lot of work -but not as much as writing a chapter yourself. Probably when I start doing that again, updates will be even slower. DX I know and yeah! I saw! :D I thought that was pretty cool! Thanks for finding the name change. Haha, that is funny... I think in Ch. 13, but she hasn't exactly found out that what fairy tale he's from. Hahaha! :D He is at times, isn't he? Would you do anything with your family?

Guest (who asked, "Who's Daphne and Who's Chris?"): Daphne and Matt, and thanks! And I dunno, haha. Are you Casey?

As White As Snow: Heehee. :) sorry that was odd! Thanks! :D

Twilightfunatic: (CHAPTER 24 REPLY) I will try to very soon! :) The steak was expensive, and Matt was going to pay, so she picked the cheap salad. :) I think Daphne's thoughts are voicing that in the chapter. Haha, thanks! (CHAPTER 23 REPLY) Hahaha! At least they kissed right? :) I wouldn't mind getting Sage cooties. ;) Haha, enjoy!

FlufferLover: Hahah! :D Have you posted anything yet?

Emowriter: (CHAPTER 24 REPLY) Heehee! Which is funnier: Seductive Daphne or Drunk Daphne? (CHAPTER 23 REPLY) Haha, yes, yes it is. SCARY JACKSON! BOO! Bwahha...that made me laugh so much... Haha! Did you freak your friend out? RotG FTW! Nah, I haven't watched Red Dawn ...Are you serious? HOW WAS EDEN OF THE EAST?

**Well, I hope your Christmas was WONDERFUL and your New Year's bright! :)**

See you real soon!

-Lara


	26. Chapter 26: Story Time

**A/N. **Hi there! Well, I was not planning to update tonight. **(That being said, I don't have any time to reply to reviews)** But...I got a review like an hour before (and yes, I read reviews the day I get them -replying is a different thing entirely). They told me they hope I update tonight because they like them best when they're updated the night before school.

And I totally agree. I like to read the morning before I go to school, though. So I can spend the whole day thinking about it and forgetting anything bad that might've happened over the weekend, or not think about how I'm alone or such. :) Teehee.

Sorry for any typos in this chapter! I was proofreading a bit and saw a lot of "gSage" and "acSage" when I was replacing the names (I was supposed to change Jeremy to Sage, but I changed it to Ross, so then I changed it from ross to Sage, and it just so happens that "across" and "gross" both have "Ross" in their words, so...yeah!)

**This chapter's dedicated to CupinCake and Goffygoober** (er, I mean XxOnceUponADreamxX -sorry, your nickname has stuck with me :3)

Enjoy! I'm sure you all have suffered enough through last chapter's drama. ;)

* * *

_Chapter 26: Story Time_

The next morning I awoke to my phone buzzing loudly by my ear. Bleary eyed, I reached around until I found it, bringing it to my face. My heart fluttered when I read it was Matt. It took everything I had to toss the phone away from me. Why was he trying to contact me? Wasn't he pissed? I didn't want to talk to him— no, that wasn't right. I _did _want to talk to him, but I couldn't. We would just fight again.

Pushing myself out of bed, I staggered toward the bedroom door. A yawn escaped my lips as I left Sage's bedroom and headed toward the living room. In there, I found Sage dead asleep on the couch. The couch was way too small for him— he had to curl up into a tight ball in order to fit on it. One of his arms was splayed on the back of the couch, while his other was hanging off the edge. The only thing covering him was a light blanket, which barely reached over his long body. I watched him for a few minutes, a silly grin crossing my face. He had slept on this tiny couch just for me?

"I love you, Sage," I whispered, squatting down by his head.

Suddenly his head whipped around, his eyes shining brightly, a playful smile spreading across his face. "More than Matt?"

My heart sunk a little. "I…"

The smile dropped of his face. "Oh shit. I didn't mean to say that— I forgot you're fighting with him right now."

"It's okay," I muttered, dropping to my knees. "Thanks for not climbing into my bed last night."

"I was tempted," Sage confessed. "Especially because I didn't realize how small my couch really was, but I decided you had a rough enough night as it was. I didn't want you to wake up to another man." He laughed a little bit but quickly sobered up. "Damn. Sorry. I'm so used to teasing you—"

I forced a laugh, shaking my head. "It's okay, Sage. I'm used to it, too…"

He smiled sympathetically. "How are you feeling?"

"Okay," I responded honestly. "I texted Matt last night—"

"You _what?_"

I blinked at Sage in surprise. "I texted Matt—"

"Why did you do that Daphne?" he snapped.

"I…"

"Did you apologize to him?" he demanded.

I shook my head. "No!"

His shoulder relaxed a little bit. "Good. What did you say?"

"I just said 'night'," I told him, furrowing my eyebrows together. "Why?"

"What do you mean why? Why aren't you angry, Daphne? Matt left you last night! By yourself. He made a fool out of you."

I shuffled my feet, dropping my gaze. "Well I made him angry…"

"No, Daphne. You're not taking the blame on this one. Matt ditched you last night. He left without you. He left you alone. He didn't even wait for you in the parking lot! What kind of man would do that?"

"Matt wouldn't…"

"He did, Daphne," Sage said flatly, his eyes smoldering into mine. "Yeah, it's not like him. But he did it Daphne. He ditched you last night."

I bit my lip. "But…" Sage was right. Last night I'd been too angry about Matt not listening to me and then too shocked when he left to actually realize he _had_ ditched me. On our first official date.

"No buts! Are you listening to me at all, Daphne?"

"I am!" I cried, glaring at him. "I am, Sage. I understand! Why do you keep repeating it though? I know Matt left last night! He left and it's my fault!" Tears sprung to my eyes and I scrubbed at them viciously.

Sage's look softened. "I'm sorry, Daphne. You know it's not your fault. And you can't forgive Matt so easily for this. Don't make yourself seem like a pushover."

I shook my head. "But I don't want to fight with him!"

"All couples fight."

"But…"

"What happened last night? Tell me everything. Here, sit on the couch." Sage moved into a sitting position, patting spot next to him.

Slowly, I dragged myself off the ground and onto the couch cushion. "You know everything," I told him, pulling my knees to my chest. "Matt got angry when I told him not to talk to Jackson about what Jackson said to me. Then I mentioned you and that's when he snapped."

"Is that really it?"

"Yeah," I murmured. "I'm so stupid. Why did I bring up Jackson? I didn't know it would cause this to happen! I just wanted to be honest with him!"

Sage rubbed my back soothingly. "This isn't your fault, Daphne. At all. It's completely Matt's… and mine."

I gave him a sarcastic look. "Oh, yes, Sage. You told me to bring up Jackson and you."

He chuckled. "No, but I did kiss you earlier. Can you imagine how Matt must have felt? Seeing his best friend kissing the person he loves? He must have been pissed."

"He didn't seem angry," I responded, frowning again. How did Matt feel? If I saw Ariana kissing Matt, I'd be crushed. Even if she had to… I didn't even want to imagine it.

"That's probably because he didn't want you to feel guilty. And don't try to say you wouldn't," he added quickly. "We both know you, Daphne. Matt probably just kept it to himself and then when you mentioned me, it boiled over because he could stop it. The whole Jackson thing was probably another majoring factor. You just happened to say the wrong things at the wrong time."

I chewed on my bottom lip, letting my eyes drift back to the floor as I took in Sage's words. Matt did seem a little angrier than usual. The Jackson thing was understandable, after all Bryant had tried to kill us multiple times, but usually he'd take a calmer approach. "I still feel like it's my fault," I admitted.

Sage sighed. "I had a feeling you'd say that. You're too nice, Daphne."

"That should be a good thing, Sage."

"Depending on the situation."

"This is a good situation."

He lightly slapped the back of my head. "No, it's not. What Matt did last night is not acceptable— and I forbid you to apologize to him in any way, shape, or form. He's going to apologize to you for leaving you."

"He probably already feels horrible about it," I protested, turning to pout at him. "I don't want to make him suffer."

Sage shook his head. "You're suffering too. He deserves this. You're always the one apologizing. You should be angry Daphne. Even if you don't feel angry, at least act angry. Okay?"

"Why?"

"Because you need to show Matt you stand up to him," Sage pressed. "You tried last night, right? But he wouldn't listen to you."

I twiddled with my fingers. "You're not just saying this because you want us to break up so you can swoop in and steal me away, right?"

Sage's face went blank. His mouth opened the tiniest bit, adding to his stupefied affect.

I laughed— a refreshing, relieving laugh. "I'm kidding, Sage. I understand what you're trying to say. I need to make Matt know he has to listen to me. Maybe I'm too _blinded by love_ to realize he never listens to me."

"Geez, Daphne, you really know how to give someone a heart attack," Sage sighed, slumping back into the couch. "I'm too old for this. I'm glad you understand what I'm trying to say though."

"I don't know how I'm going to do it though," I said quietly. "It hurts just to reject his phone call…"

"It's best just to ignore him."

I rolled my eyes. "Because that's so easy."

Sage nudged me in the side with his elbow. "It might be hard, but you have to do it."

"There's school tomorrow," I pointed out.

"You know what you have to do?"

I shook my head.

"Act like a student, and Matt is your teacher," Sage stated simply. "Like normal students who aren't having a secret relationship with their teacher."

I cracked a smile. "Good advice, Sage."

He winked. "Any time. Now, to get your mind of things, how about we clean up this place a little bit?"

"Are you using me for free labor?"

"Yup."

A short laugh left my lips. "I did say we'd clean this place yesterday, so I guess I'll help."

"I'll treat you out to ice cream after," he said teasingly.

"Thanks Sage," I responded seriously.

He scratched the back of his head, shrugging. "A frown doesn't suit your face."

"I hope things work out with you and Ariana."

"Huh?"

"You'd make a great boyfriend," I told him, smiling. "Ariana really likes you, Sage."

He grinned at me. "I take it you approve?"

Nodding, I pushed myself off the couch. "I've approved all along. They always say it's bad to let your two best friends date, but I don't think so."

"They say that when they're talking about two best friends who are best friends with each other," Sage pointed out. "I'm not Ariana's best friend."

"Whatever," I replied, putting my hands on my hips. "Let's get this place cleaned. Where do you want to start?"

He thought about it for a minute. "How about the kitchen? I don't know how long some of those dishes in the sink have been there for."

"That's… gross, Sage."

"I'm a dude, what can I say?"

"Matt keeps his dishes clean," I told him.

He wagged his finger at me. "No thinking about Matt."

I frowned. No thinking about Matt? Was that even possible? I almost laughed at my thoughts. Of course it was possible… Right? "Okay. No thinking about Matt."

"Great. Now scoot the boot," he ordered, putting his hands on my shoulders, and steering me toward the kitchen. "You wash, I'll dry."

"I'm not going to get any diseases, am I?"

"I can't make any promises," he responded solemnly.

I opened my mouth to protest, but the ringing of a phone cut me off. Sage frowned, digging his hand into his pocket, and pulling out his cell. "Who is it?" I inquired.

"That no thinking about Matt thing is taking a break for about a minute," he notified me. Before I could ask anything, he flipped open his phone. "Aloha, Mustardseed!"

"Since when did you call him Mustardseed?" I asked, cocking an eyebrow.

"I'll call you what I want, _Mustardseed_," Sage said into the phone, sending an amused glance my way. "You sound angry. You mad, bro? Yep. Yes, I am. Yes, I still have her phone, and no, I'm not giving it back."

I held my breath, trying to hear what Matt was saying on the other side of the phone. Unfortunately, all I could hear was Matt's muffled, incoherent voice. Moving my head closer to Sage's, I listened harder. Sage immediately pulled away, sending me a scolding look. I scowled at him.

"She doesn't want to talk to you," he stated, his eyes boring into mine.

I knew he meant I wasn't allowed to talk to him.

"Nope, she's busy cleaning my house to keep her mind of your heartless soul." A grin spread across his face and I could tell he was trying not to laugh. "I hardly think that's legal, Matt. Mm, that's almost as bad as leaving a poor girl all alone while on a date. Especially since a few months ago our gang was after her."

I grimaced. That was a low blow. Why did Sage have to put him down so hard? I was half tempted to steal the phone away from Sage to stop him, but I knew better. First of all, he'd probably slap me across the head, and second, I really did want Matt to learn to listen to me. If he didn't, we wouldn't make it as a couple. My chest tightened even at the thought of that.

Sage pulled the phone away from his ear with a frown. "He hung up on me."

"I wonder why," I drawled. "Why do you keep telling him you have my phone?"

"Uh, well, you know."

I crossed my arms. "No, I don't know."

"It's just so he doesn't get mad that you're ignoring his phone calls. He probably won't, but I'm the one who's saying for you to do it, so I might as well take the blame…"

"Have I mentioned I love you, Sage?"

He grinned, ruffling the hair on my head. "That's what friends are for, Daphne. Besides, I won't miss out a chance to pick on Matt."

"Was he mean to you when you were younger?" I teased.

"Hey, I said no thinking about Matt."

"You put it on a break. And technically, we're talking about him."

With another roll of his eyes, he sighed. "Okay, I'll tell you a story but then you're cleaning, got it?"

My heart stuttered in anticipation. "Okay!"

"It was when I first joined the gang," he started, moving back to the couch. "I knew Matt a little bit since he was the hot shot. Well, everyone knew him a little bit. But he's kind of the one who made me want to join the gang."

I flopped back down on the couch where Sage was now sitting. "I'm not sure whether that's a good or bad thing."

"Neither am I," he responded, causing me to grin. "You know how good of a fighter Matt is. When another fighter sees that, we're obviously impressed. We want to get to know that fighter— we want to _fight_ that person. So my first day of being a part of the gang, I naturally challenged Matt."

"Wasn't he the gang leader though?"

Sage made an annoyed face. "Yeah, but he didn't tell me that."

"You spoke to him before?"

"Didn't I just say I saw him fight?"

I pursed my lips. "Well you didn't say you talked to him."

"I talked to him," Sage informed me. "Just the usual praising his technique, blah, blah, blah. You know, usual gang talk."

"I don't know."

"Just shut up and listen, Daphne," Sage said with a sigh. "Honestly, how does Matt put up with you?"

I smiled innocently at him. "I don't try to annoy Matt. I still interrupt him though…"

"_Anyway_," Sage continued, "I guess Matt thought it would be funny if I took on the gang leader. I don't know why though. He knew I had no chance against him. Fortunately he didn't use his one hit KO move on me. For some reason, he let me hold my own against him for at least five minutes."

"Ooh, five minutes," I gasped sarcastically before I could stop myself.

An elbow went into my gut, this time rougher. "Do you want to hear my story?"

"Yes," I wheezed, cringing at the pain in my gut.

"Well he finally knocked me down, but his little stunt allowed me to have some feign in the group. For a fourteen year old, I was pretty bad ass."

I couldn't fathom why a fourteen year old would want to be in a gang. Neither could I fathom how Matt could be leader at sixteen. There were some mysteries in the world that were better off unknown though.

"With that fame, came Matt's blackmail."

"I should have seen that coming," I muttered, remembering the times he blackmailed me. I was glad I wasn't the only one a victim of it.

Sage nodded. "It was only small things. Do my laundry, bring me lunch, bandage my cut… However, as small as those things are, it gets really tiring when you do it for a year."

"You let him push you around for a year?"

"Look, Matt is intimidating," Sage defended. "He might have never threatened you, but I'm sure you've seen him do it."

Another memory I didn't want to remember. "Oh, yeah…"

"When I refused to do any more work for him, he spread a rumor that I was gay."

"He did?"

Sage grinned. "Yep. So I told everyone that he was my boyfriend."

"You _did?_ Oh my God! Is that why he's so touchy when I tease you guys about being gay together?"

"You got it," Sage replied, leaning back on the couch with his hands behind his head. "It was pretty smart thinking on my part. That rumor went away pretty quickly. After that, Matt and I became friends."

"Wait, how did that make you two become friends?"

"Because he realized I wasn't a force to be reckoned with."

"Because of that rumor?" I asked, confused.

Sage waved his hand. "That and I faired pretty well in fights. I've never beaten him though. Which kind of sucks."

"Well now he's old," I joked. "You have the advantage."

"I think he's gotten stronger within the years, actually," he admitted. "I think you're his only weakness."

"That's cheesy."

"You know what else is cheesy?"

I shook my head.

"Some of the plates in my sink."

"That was punny," I responded, rubbing my forehead. "I guess this means the no-thinking-about-Matt rule is back on?"

He nodded. "And the dishwasher Daphne is hired. Now, hop to it! After we wash the dishes, we'll sweep the floor, and then clean out the fridge. After that we can pick up in here and vacuum and dust and all that."

I sighed. I was definitely ordering the most expensive ice cream from wherever we were going.

* * *

**A/N. **How was the chapter? A bit on the happier side? :D There won't be a QotU this time because I'm sort of in a hurry -my dad's getting really antsy for the computer. :)

Welp, I'm off to do Just Dance -err, I mean "English Homework". :D

See you guys next Sunday (hopefully)!

-Lara


	27. Chapter 27: Ignorance

**A/N. **Hai thair! First...

Wow! I did not expect Pocky to be nominated for TBSGS2012. That was an awesome present. :) **Thank you so much **(you know who you are ;D) for nominating that story! :)

Okay, so it seems some of you don't know how to vote for your favorite stories (No worries -I can't tell my hand from my foot ;D), but fear not! I have some steps to help you!

**HOW TO VOTE FOR THE BEST SISTERS GRIMM AWARDS 2012:**

**1: Search for an author names Elligoat either through your search engine (in this case, put Elligoat Fanfiction) or through FanFiction's search bar (it's at the top; make sure the thing next to it says "Author" -I think the default is "Story", so you can just change that). **

**2. Click on Elligoat's profile.**

**3. Look for her story, "The Best Sisters Grimm Story of 2012". Click it.**

**4. TO ANONS -Post your top three favorite stories from the nominees list**  
**TO ACCOUNTS -PM Elligoat with your top three favorite stories from the nominees list**

(The nominated stories are on Ch. 2 of TBSGS2012, I believe)

And there you go! ^-^ **VOTING CLOSES ON THE 21st OF JANUARY, WHICH IS THIS MONDAY EVERYONE, SO VOTE FOR YOUR FAVORITES SOON (though it's my fault for noting everyone so late) Any more questions, contact Elligoat!**

So, yay! BCC and Pocky were both nominated! That makes me happy! :D I don't think I'm going to win this year, though. Either SweetShireen, yellow.r0se, or Curlscat, will win for sure (I really like Sub Rosa, too...), just because they have such large fan bases (especially Curlscat) and a large amount of supporters.

I may not have as many favorites or alerts as other fanfics, but the fact that you guys always come back to tell me what you liked/disliked really, REALLY makes me happy. So thanks! :D

**Quick question: **Do you guys want that "whole week update" thing again like I did last year? I know there are two more rounds of TBSGS2012, so if you guys would like something like that, would you mind voting for BCC? Or does that seem bribe-ish, selfish of me? ;D

But anyways, **QotU: **What do you do when you're having a case of writer's/inspiration block?

(If any are wondering, which I doubt you are, I got all A+'s on my report card! My lowest was a 97 and my highest was a 103 (I took a test with 15 extra credit points. ;D Skillz.)

Enjoy!

* * *

_Chapter 27: Ignorance_

"I can't do it."

"Just go."

I shook my head, planting my feet firmly on the ground. "No, Sage. I can't!"

He gave me a tough shove. "Daphne! You probably won't even see him until fourth period. You're fine!"

"What if he's patrolling the halls?" I complained, pressing my face against the glass doors of the school.

"Daphne, it's cold out here. Go. Inside."

"I'm going home," I announced, twisting on my heel, and heading for the cement stairs that led back to the parking lot.

Sage quickly grabbed the back of my jacket, pulling me back in one swift motion. I lost my balance, but he quickly wrapped his arms around me, setting me straight. Instead of letting go right away, he held me tighter. "I know it's hard to control your love for me in class, but you have to."

Confused, I looked up at him, ready to shoot down his teasing, but my voice died in my throat when I realized Jackson and Anna were staring up at us. Jackson cocked an eyebrow. "Isn't it a little dangerous to be doing this in such a public place?"

Anna immediately sent an elbow into his side. "Shut up, Jackson! I think they're cute together!"

"Thank you," Sage responded with a grin.

I glanced up at him, my stomach shifting uncomfortably. Did he still have a thing for Anna? Didn't it hurt to hear her say that? Or had he finally realized Anna definitely wasn't meant for him? I hoped it was the latter.

"Daphne," Jackson started, gaining my attention, "you haven't said anything about that secret I told you the other day, right?"

My heart skipped a beat. I had to be poised about this. Jackson couldn't know I told anyone. "No," I responded as confidently as I could.

He smiled. "Very good."

I relaxed slightly. At least he believed me. And if he believed me, that meant Matt hadn't said anything… Guilt gnawed at the back of my mind, but I forced it away. What did I have to feel guilty about? I told Matt what needed to be done. That was all.

"What secret?" Sage asked, breaking me out of my thoughts. I knew he was just playing along so Jackson wouldn't get suspicious.

"Nothing," Jackson sung, brushing by us. "Just a little recipe from my mom."

Anna's expression fell and she frowned at her brother. "Mom? But—"

"Shut up," he snapped, shooting her a dirty look.

She blinked at him, looking thoroughly taken aback. Sage's mouth twisted into a scowl and he glared after Jackson as he went into the school building. Even I felt bad for Anna. I sent her a half-smile. She returned it before sighing. "He really needs to go back to his anger management classes."

Sage smiled tightly and I glanced at him in shock. Was that one of the things he'd looked up that he couldn't tell me? I turned back to Anna, frowning. "He went to anger management?"

"I can't really talk about it," she replied, a sheepish look crossing her face. "Sorry, Daphne. But, um, I've got to go meet Josh before class, so I'll see you two later, okay?"

"Sure," Sage and I responded together.

"By the way, Mr. Ross, I like your tie!" she chirped, throwing him one last smile as she walked by him.

Sage grimaced. "I should have seen that coming."

"It's just a compliment," I pointed out, watching the pecan haired girl enter the building. "But I really don't like how she's leading Wendell on…"

"If he knows she has a boyfriend, that's hardly her fault."

I pursed my lips at Sage. "Don't stick up for her."

"I'm not!"

"Sure."

He scowled at me. "Whatever, Daphne. We're going inside now, before we're late." Ignoring my protests, he gripped me by the elbow, dragging me toward the door and inside. "Be tough. Stand your ground."

"Easier said than done," I muttered, wrenching my arm away from him. "Why do I have to keep this up? Matt listened to me. He didn't say anything to Jackson."

"He still left you alone at that restaurant."

My heart dropped into my gut. Of course Sage would remind me of that. "He was just angry," I whispered.

"No," Sage said sternly. "You're going to ignore him today. Show him who's boss, Daphne. Make him build statues for your forgiveness. Okay?"

Slowly, I nodded. Matt would be the one to apologize to me this time. Leaving me at Uno's wasn't something I shouldn't let slide easily. I knew it. But it was going to be hard. "I can do this," I told myself.

"Go for it!" Sage urged, giving me a little push. "And hurry, otherwise you'll be late for homeroom."

I nodded, readjusting my backpack. "I'll see you in gym class!"

"Good luck!"

"Thanks!" I was definitely going to need it.

The first part of the day passed by quickly. Thankfully, I didn't run into Matt once. I'd bumped into Jackson a few times, but all he did was smile at me. It wasn't even a taunting smile. Everything was going good. When lunch came around, I made my way to the cafeteria, feeling lighthearted.

"Boo!"

I jumped, automatically whipping my hand back in defense. A low cry of pain came from behind me. "Daphne, you git, what was that for?"

"Wendell?" I asked, turning around to see my Everafter friend. "Sorry! It's an automatic reaction."

He rubbed his chin, giving me a dirty look. "If that bruises, I'm suing you."

I rolled my eyes at him. "You can't sue me for that."

"Watch me."

"I haven't talked to you for a while," I remarked, deciding to change the subject.

He gave me a grumpy look. "Maybe if you stopped hanging around your boyfriend and spent more time with your best friends you would talk to me more."

"I'm sorry," I apologized, my smile fading fast. "I'll make time."

"Good."

I grimaced at his tone. "So how was the dance?"

The change in his demeanor was almost comical. He seemed to be bursting with rainbows and puppies now. "Awesome! I can't believe Anna said yes to me!"

"I hate to be the party pooper, but you know she's dating Josh, right?"

Wendell's expression didn't change. "So?"

"Isn't she leading you on?"

An appalled expression crossed his face. "What? No! I just asked her to the dance. I didn't ask her to be my girlfriend."

"But—"

He shook his head. "No. We're not talking about her. You know this makes us fight."

I sighed. "Yeah, okay."

"How's _your_ love life?" Wendell asked, wrapping an arm around my shoulder so we wouldn't be separated as we merged with the other students heading for the lunchroom.

"Um…" I hesitated, glancing at the ground. Wendell was going to figure it out in Home Ec anyway. What was the point of hiding it from him? "Matt and I are in a fight."

Shock couldn't begin to describe the look on his face. "You and Firay are in a fight? I didn't think it was possible. What happened?"

"Wait until Ariana gets here. She'll want to hear this too," I responded warily. Maybe it would be a good thing to talk about this with my friends. Sage was a little biased…

"What about me?" a new, bright voice questioned and I felt another arm being slung around my shoulder.

"Firay and Daphne got in a fight," Wendell told Ariana before I could.

Ariana's face mimicked Wendell's. "What? That's impossible!"

I frowned at the pair. "All couples fight…"

"But you guys are _you_!" She waved her hands wildly.

Wendell cocked an eyebrow. "That doesn't make sense."

"Love doesn't have to make sense. It just has to feel right," Ariana sighed dramatically, putting her hands to her chest. "Now what was this fight about?"

"Let's get lunch and sit down first," I suggested.

Wendell shook his head. "You keep postponing it…"

I ignored his comment, heading for the lunch line. Today was Taco Day. How fitting. Loading my taco, I tried to repress memories of the time I ate tacos at Matt's. However, that was impossible. Ariana and Wendell were blabbering about some senior in our grade that got his license suspended for drinking and driving all the way to our lunch table. I wasn't too interested in that. That kid made a stupid decision, and now he had to pay for it. It was how it should be.

"So," Wendell started, leaning toward me. "Spill."

"You guys can't say _anything_."

Ariana nodded. "I won't!"

"Neither will I," Wendell added.

I took a deep breath. "Well, I guess I have to start off with the fact Jackson knows Bryant…"

Horror flashed across Ariana's face while Wendell's paled. "How do you know?" Ariana inquired.

"I saw Jackson at the grocery store and he just randomly told me. So I told Matt on our date and—"

"You guys had your first date? Ai, ai, ai! That's so cute!"

Wendell gave Ariana a disapproving look. "Focus, Ariana."

She pressed her lips together. "Right."

"Yes, we had our first date," I confirmed, smiling slightly. "It really sucked though. When I mentioned that Jackson knew Bryant, Matt flipped out and wouldn't listen to me when I told him he wasn't allowed to mention it to Jackson. I don't know what he wanted to do or say, but he wanted to go talk to Jackson, but I said no. So we started arguing because he never listens to me, and then I mentioned something about Sage and he got even more pissed and left me at the restaurant," I explained as briefly as I could.

Ariana was the first to speak. "Why would Mr. Firay get angry about you mentioning Sage?"

"Er… Well Sage kissed me earlier that day…"

Wendell's eyes nearly bulged out their sockets. "What? Why?"

"To prove to Jackson that we were dating," I mumbled, dropping my gaze. "Sage says Matt is just jealous but…"

"He's definitely just jealous," Ariana agreed at once. "Leaving you alone was a stupid move."

"You know you can't forgive Firay so easily for that, right?" Wendell pressed, looking irritated. "I can't believe he did that to you!"

"Ooh! You know what this situation is perfect for?" Ariana chirped excitedly. "Make him beg for your forgiveness! Make him build _statues_ for your forgiveness!"

I narrowed my eyes suspiciously at her. "Okay, that's just creepy. Did Sage teach you that?"

She blinked at me. "No?"

Yeah. They were definitely a match made in Heaven.

"Ariana is right. You usually let him walk all over you—"

"I do not!"

"Yes, you do," my two best friends chorused.

I scowled at them. "No."

"Daphne, you should be angry at him. He left you alone during your date!" Wendell exclaimed. "There's something wrong with you!"

"I want to be angry!" I told him. "It's just hard! Matt was angry, so—"

"So nothing," Wendell interjected. "You're not apologizing to him. You're teaching him a lesson. Don't talk to him at all today."

A small sigh left my lips. "I'm already planning on doing that."

Wendell relaxed. "Good."

"You can do it, Daphne!" Ariana encouraged me.

I nodded my head. I could do it. I had to do it. Sage, Ariana, and Wendell were right. Matt shouldn't have left me alone like that. I didn't deserve it. I was going to show Matt who was boss. I could do this!

"Excuse me," a quiet voice said, interrupting my thoughts. "I have a note for Daphne."

Turning my head, I came face-to-face with a sophomore I recognized from my art class, Kayla. My heart shuddered in my chest as I took the note from her. On it was my name, written in a very familiar handwriting. I couldn't tear my eyes away from it. I couldn't stop myself from opening it. Slowly, I unfolded it, reading the request to meet Matt in his room before lunch was over.

"What does it say?" Wendell asked.

"For me to go to his room…"

Ariana frowned. "Are you going to go?"

Taking a deep breath, I crumpled up the note and shook my head. "No… I'm going to make him beg for forgiveness."

Grins grew on Wendell and Ariana's faces. I tried to grin back, but found it feeling incredibly fake. No matter how much I said I should do it, ignoring Matt was going to be harder than anything I've ever done. I knew once I saw his face my defenses would crumble. It would be hard to keep it up. But I had to do it. Just once.

Lunch was over all too soon. Ariana gave me some encouraging words before she disappeared in the hallway, leaving Wendell and I alone. We headed toward the science wing, walking in silence. My chest was tight with anxiety. My hands shook at my side. My heart pounded faster than usual in my chest, causing my breath to come quicker. Only a few more feet until we were at the classroom. I had to be prepared.

"You can do it," Wendell told me, cupping my shoulder right before we entered the classroom. "If worst comes to worst, pretend you're going to throw up and then leave the room."

I nodded. "O-okay. Let's do this."

Wendell pushed open the door, gesturing for me to go first. I did, moving at a leisurely pace. Matt, of course, was the first thing I noticed. He did a double take at the door when I came in, his eyes widening the slightest bit. My heart lurched. I forgot how adorable he looked in his teacher attire. His black sweater vest, his white dress shirt…his black dress pants and shoes… Everything fit him perfectly. He was far more handsome than any other guy in the universe.

His blue eyes pierced into mine and I finally managed to pull myself away, my heart beating in my throat. I walked to my seat, everything sounding slowed and muffled around me. It was really going to be hard to focus today.

"Good afternoon, Ms. Grimm, Wendell," Matt greeted in his usual low, attractive teacher's voice.

Wendell scoffed at him, taking a seat next to me instead of Anna. I looked at him gratefully. To both of our surprises though, Anna moved from the back of the room, next to him. A small smile appeared on his face as he turned to greet her. I kept my eyes on my desk. I could make it through class like this.

"Ms. Grimm, could I speak to you for a moment?"

My body tensed, my eyes rising from the desk to see Matt standing in front of my desk. I didn't look up at his face, only his waist, where his shirts met his slacks. That was all I needed to see to know it was him. Luckily, the bell rang, saving me from having to answer him.

"Mr. Firay!" Jamie started in a whining tone. "I didn't get Friday night's homework!"

Matt heaved a heavy sigh, knocking his fist against my desk once before moving away. I slumped in my seat, letting out a long whoosh of air. This really was going to be on the border edge of impossible.

"What do you need help with?" I heard him ask in an emotional voice.

"I don't remember what NSP stands for," she told him.

Even I knew what NSP was, and I hadn't even looked at the homework. We must have gone over it at least fifty times in class!

"NSP stands for non-starch polysaccharide. They are the major part of dietary fiber and can be measured more precisely than total dietary fiber. This is…"

My mind spaced off about then. There was really no point in me paying attention when I already knew what he was talking about. I ended up occupying myself by counting all the tiles on the floor. If I did that, I could make it through the class.

After we'd finished going over the homework, Matt collected it. I inwardly cursed my luck. It would be the one day I didn't do it that he collected it. The students began to chatter loudly, taking advantage of the moment. When Matt came to my desk, he stood right next to me, his hand entering my field of vision. "Homework, Ms. Grimm?" he asked, speaking loudly to be heard over everyone else.

I shook my head, refusing to look up or talk to him.

"Do you need another sheet?"

Once again I used my head to say no.

He lowered his voice considerably. "I have your stuff, Daphne.""

"Mr. Firay!" Wendell called at the perfect moment. "You didn't collect my homework!"

Matt stiffened, his hand clenching. "Coming, Wendell," he said in a hard voice, his hand brushing mine as he moved away from my desk.

I looked up now, staring at his broad shoulders. Was he angry now? I didn't want him to be angry but… Wendell shot me a grimace and I was glad I couldn't see Matt's face. After collecting all the homework, Matt returned to the front of the room, and I dropped my eyes back to the ground. He began to prattle on about microeconomics— something I already knew. I felt it was okay to space out again. A period and a half more of this, and then I was free.

Not even five minutes later, I heard someone whispering my name. "Daphne!"

I straightened up, turning around to frown at Jackson. What did he want now? "What?"

"Do you have a pencil I can borrow?" he asked, giving me a puppy dog look.

"No, I don't have a pencil," I responded sharply. He definitely couldn't pull of that look.

He scowled at me. "I was just—"

"We're in the middle of class," I hissed at him.

"Excuse me," a new voice interrupted. Matt. "Ms. Grimm, would you please try to not interrupt the class?"

It took all the willpower I had not to look up at his handsome face. As guilty as I felt, I managed to keep myself silent and focus on the floor again. Sage was going to be so proud of me.

"Ms. Grimm?"

I bit my tongue to stay silent.

Two hands appeared on my desk. "Ms. Grimm," Matt tried again, lowering his voice to that sexy tone. "Don't ignore me."

I clenched my teeth together. Why was he making this so hard?

"Fine. Detention after school today."

My eyes widened. Detention? How could I spend a detention with him? That would just be the two of us alone! I shot Wendell a panicked glance. He returned it was a frantic one.

"Hey, Mr. Firay! You have an ugly face!" he blurted.

"Go out in the hall, Wendell."

Wendell sent me a sorrowful look as he pushed himself away from his desk, setting out for the hallway. I winced at his attempt at getting a detention. So much for help from him. Now I would have to deal with Matt all by myself…

* * *

**A/N.** I might have to thank you all in some way for sticking with me, even with my faults and awfulness. :) I wonder what I can do...

**I'm sorry that it's been so much more than a week since I've updated.**:/ I think I've been given the most homework I've ever had in the past two weeks (probably doesn't make sense -that's how much my brain is fried). I've been finishing homework at like six, and eating dinner at seven, and practicing piano at eight, and writing random at nine, and sleeping at ten, because my cousins from San Francisco came, and their adorableness is distracting and bldghkl. I'm sorry. :/

I know my weekly (or later) updates have been so bothersome and annoying, so I appreciate your patience (for those that are I mean :D). I got a question the other day I think you all would like the answer to:

**If this story was already made and you're copying and pasting it, why does it take you a week to update?**

WELL, first and foremost, I have no energy when doing something that's not for school. I'm just so…unmotivated isn't the right word…tired? Because I try and do fun things after school and I'm so tired. Or when there isn't school I just want to sleep and forget the world. (If thou maketh sense.)

Secondly, if I updated BCC like I did FTFT, the story would be already over. This story is going to have about 40-45 chapters. If I updated two chapters a week (takes me about an hour to edit one), and replied to reviews two times a (would take me a whole hour), and finished homework each week (three hours a day), I'd probably want to/have to quit FF because it's super time consuming. I'm also trying to write this according the story's timeline (which is after Daphne's Christmas break, but before graduation. Christmas Break is over, and I've not gone to high school yet, so we're on track.)

End of Answer

**Replies:**

FlufferLover: How ironic, eh? :D Thanks for the review!

Key-2-Soul: Thanks for making it short -makes it easier to reply to. ;D Haha, that makes me really happy, thanks so much!

Emma: Low blow, right? :) We'll see what happens next chapter. :D

foxface333ChocolateLabrador: We'll see, we'll see. Sage and Ariana may get together, or they may not...who knows? ;D

Curlscat: During school. That's okay -I'll probably find them anyways. :D "Leader of the gang"? :cheekygrin: Thanks!

mytrueliferocks123: Thanks!

TheLagoon: You're welcome! Whoop, whoop, I know! I got into the next round, yay! :D I actually went back to school on the 3rd, Thursday because I got out on like Dec. 19. Ohhhh, I see. Well, welcome back! Glad you got an account!

iiGabbyLove: Heehee. I like that part, too. Thanks! Meaghan Rath? Not bad. :) I dunno who I imagine her as...

creamychocpudding786: Haha, thanks! And your question isn't offensive at all! The thing is that if I had started the story with two chapters per week, I'd have double the reviews to reply to, less time each week to myself, and I'd be so immersed in work that I'd probably explode. And the story would be done by now. :) I'm trying to prolong the ending as much as possible because that's what reviewers asked in FTFT for the sequel. :) Hope that makes sense! :D I really enjoyed your question!

FlufferLover: Heehee. That makes me really happy. Weirded out, but in a good way.

CupinCakes: Haha, sorry for the scare! Haha, I liked that too! I'll think about making a one-shot about that. :) Haha, I have the opposite effect -when I read a new, epic chapter of something, I get so excited thinking about it that I can't sleep! :D

yorkie999777000: Maaaaybe. :) haha, thanks!

GrimmGirlLove: WHOOP WHOOP YEAH! Thanks so much! Haha, in no time! BAI!

CupinCakes: Heehee, Sage is great, isn't he? Haha; your statement is so true! Thanks for the gravy review!

foxface333ChocolateLabrador: No problemo! As long as the reason for it wasn't because you hated me or something, we're cool! :D Comeuppance -big word, heehee. :)

Curlscat: Yup, you were. Yay! I love sleepy reviews! ;) Now that I look at it, you're right. :/ But thanks!

TheLagoon: What? I thought you said you were Athena, the anon-reviewer? How could you've read this whole thing this afternoon if I've gotten reviews from you when you didn't have an account? Yo soy confuzzled. Thanks, though! :D

Curlygirl123: We'll address all that in the later chapters. :) Don't worry!

emowriter: Teehee! Aaaaaagghhhh, I loved it so much. THE FEELS. And when Saki ran after Takizawa and kissed him (AAAAHHH!)...then it sucked when Takizawa left and then the whole story ended. T-T But Underpants is awesome -I cried when I thought he died! LOL -your whole lecture cracked me up! MERP. Heehee! I love Sage so much, man. Frummp. Frump, haha!

Alexandra Jackson rocks Hades: Aww, why've you been moody? And I don't think it's because Matt left -when I read that part, I started crying too...wait, but I'm moody, too...! O.O'

: Starch? You should add that to the "Daphne-ish Club" Forum. :) That'd be cool. Bossome...Starch, Bossome, French Matt...you need to add these in the club, man! (It's okay to have a crush on Sage, btw, I have one on him, too) Good luck! I said I'd like to be more social, too, and when I went back to school, I didn't talk to anyone that morning, lol! :D But I TOTALLY GET WHAT YOU MEAN! It's like you're reading my mind, mannn. We must be twins. NY is nice! I've only been there once but when I went there, it was great! I need both types of lessons, I suck. :3 Haha, what'd you say to the kid? Heehee, I shall excuse your overachieveiness.

emma: Hahah! Lots of emotions, huh?

Key-2-Soul: Good resolutions! And no problem -you had an honest mistake. If it was four reviews...that's another story. :) I know what you mean by you laughing when Sage chewed out Matt. It's one of those, "YOU JUST GOT PWNED!" moments. That sounds like so much fun! I wish I had done something like that for the holidays. :) Thanks!

Bebe17: Aw, thanks so much! :D

GrimmGirlLove: No worries! You did? I'm sorry for making you cry! Oooh, you got a "friend" named Jake? Wink wink. Haha, Sage is my favorite person in this whole story. While he may be a minor character, he's great. :) Haha! I love Pokemon!

FlufferLover: Heehee! YAY! Thanks so much! Have you figured out how to vote yet? :) If not, I posted a "How-to" at the beginning of this chapter.

creamychocpudding786: Haha, thanks! Sorry for the Cliffy, but it was fun. ;) Aww, that's one of the sweetest things anyone's ever said to me! :D Thanks! Haha, I'd like Sage as my boyfriend, just because he's so sweet. But Matt is definitely sexy. :3 That's why I love Sage! :D You're welcome and sorry for the long wait! Haha, Muchas gracias! Lol, usually I love long reviews, yes. :)

**See you Saturday and Monday! (Four day weekend for meee!)**

~Lara


	28. Chapter 28: Skip

**A/N. **As promised, a Saturday update! ^-^ Had a really nice night; it was my Uncle [Tito] Will's birthday and we went to his house and had dinner. I brought my little cousins, too, and it was fun! I thought it was funny that my freshman friend, Jessica and I, not a freshman, were both reading To Kill a Mockingbird for school and the same chapter.

_Anyways_, remember to vote for your favorite FF stories! Doesn't matter if it's one of my stories or your own story or a not-well-known story. As long as you think it's worthy of becoming the best Sisters Grimm story of 2012, then vote for it. :D Remember to go to Elligoat's profile to do so.

I didn't prepare review replies (I'M SORRY!) for tonight, so they shall be replied to next chapter. Though, I do need to address yorkie999777000's review and just say I'm so deeply sorry and I feel terrible and want to upload a chapter each and every day, but there's a price with growing up –_you grow up_. Everything gets harder, and the decisions you make have greater effect on your future. I'm trying so hard to balance FF and school, I can't even read and review like I used to -24/7. I'm trying. I'm really trying. Your comment made me feel really guilty, but I'm thankful that you've stuck with me since this story started (even though you really weirded me out at first, haha! :D) so thanks.

By the way, the poll on my profile is closed, and **the official pairing name for Sage and Ariana is Sariana. Yay!**

Sorry for some minor coarse language. And typos. And if anything seems racist. There was a comment that I tried to word differently (not necessarily in a bad way), but if it still seems discriminate, just notify me in your review. :3

Enjoy!

* * *

_Chapter 28: Skip_

"You know you don't have to go, right?"

I looked up at Sage, who was hovering over me, crossing his arms. Currently, I was on the gym floor sitting Indian style. Sounds of basketballs being dribbled and students talking loudly filled the room. In my anxiety of having to ignore Matt all day, I had forgotten my gym clothes, and in turn, couldn't participate with them. Wendell was sitting out with me as well, but he was still in a grumpy mood about having to stay out in the hallway for the whole Home Ec. period. Sage raised an eyebrow, waiting for my response to his statement. "I know," I finally sighed. "I figured that out five minutes after he assigned it."

"I'm not allowed to hold detention either," he responded, frowning. "Otherwise I'd make you or Ariana stay after with me every day. I don't know why I have to be here until three… It's not fair."

I ignored his rambling, focusing on my own problems. "If I skip, Matt will just come to my house, and Sabrina and Puck are at home today. I don't want it to be awkward. They'll know something is up right away and try to butt their way into it. Mom'll take Matt's side too, because I think she likes him more than I do."

Sage squatted, his mouth now turned into a playful smile. "You could always stay with me. Hang out in the gym after school that way he won't be able to find you. And you can keep me company."

"I'll stay after too!" Wendell added, his eyes lighting up. "This is a perfect chance to hang out with you!"

"We can ask Ariana too," Sage said, nodding. "It'll be like a mini party."

I debated about it for a moment. I really did want Matt to apologize first, but wasn't a day and a half enough time to let him wallow in his guilt? He probably was already planning to apologize. But then again, I was curious as to what he would do if I continued ignoring him. If it got to the point where he got too angry with me I could always back out and apologize to him. "Okay, that sounds good," I finally responded, giving Sage a little grin.

"Good!" he said, clapping his hands together. "Now I'm excited. Ariana!" he cried loudly, waving her over. "Come here!"

The brunette jumped in surprise before turning to look at him. Unfortunately for her, her partner had just thrown a basketball, which hit her in the chest. "_Ai!_" She winced, turning to scowl at James. He gave her a sheepish look. Shaking her head, she began to jog her away over to us. "What's up, Sage?"

"Mr. Ross," Wendell and I corrected her immediately.

She rolled her eyes. "Right. What's up, _Mr. Ross_?"

"Want to stay after school with me, Daphne, and Wendell? We're having a party."

Cocking an eyebrow, she turned to me. "What's this? You actually have time to hang out with us?"

Wendell smirked while I scowled at her. "If you just ask me when you want to hang out, I will. I don't spend every waking moment with Matt, you know!"

She chuckled. "I'm just teasing you, Daphne. I can stay after, but I'll need a ride home…"

"I'll give you one," Sage and I chorused. I raised an eyebrow at him. "Okay, Sage will," I told Ariana.

Ariana opened her mouth to say something, but abruptly closed when she noticed my look. I knew she was going to mention that she lived down the street from me so it would be pointless to have Sage drive her. This would be a good chance for them to have some more alone time. Sage agreed vigorously to drive her home and she ran off to join James again, looking a little bit flustered.

"Oh my god, ew," Wendell commented, wrinkling his nose. "What is up with all you girls have crushes on older men?"

Sage sighed dreamily. "I just can't help it… They're like, totally manly, unlike you, Wendell."

He rolled his eyes. "Please, spare me."

Suddenly there was a sharp shout of pain from the other side of the gym. Sage's head immediately snapped in the direction. I followed his gaze, my eyes landing on a student lying on the ground with other students starting to surround him. My lips turned up in amusement when I realized it was Jackson on the floor. Anna bounded over to him looking worried. After a few moments Sage started toward him too. I pushed myself off the ground too— I wasn't going to miss the chance of giving Jackson a taunting look while he was sprawled out of the floor.

"Jackson, are you okay?" Anna asked, squatting down next to her brother. "What happened?"

"I just tripped," he responded roughly, looking away from her. "I'm fine."

"Let me help you up—"

He slapped her hand away. "_No_. Go away."

"Hey," I protested, scowling at him. "Don't hit your sister."

"Stay out of it," he snapped at me.

Using his hands, he pushed himself up to his feet. A grimace of pain crossed his face and when he tried to take a step forward, he pulled his weight of his left leg, sending him toppling to the side. Sage easily caught him. "Are you okay?"

He pushed away from Sage. "I'm fine! Ow," he hissed, putting his weight on his foot again.

Sage frowned. "You should probably go to the nurse. Someone will have to walk with him. Wendell, will you—"

"No."

Jackson smirked, his eyes landing on me. "Daphne will help me. Right, Daphne?"

I gave him a flat look. I didn't want to help him, but he was asking in front of everyone. "If I have to."

"I can take him," Sage interjected, shooting a dirty look at Jackson. "Daphne, you should stay here—"

"You're the teacher," Jackson cut him off, looking smug. "You can't leave. Hand me off to Daphne. She can handle it. She's a big girl, isn't she, Mr. Ross?"

He scowled. "Fine. Here, Daphne."

Reluctantly, I dragged myself forward. Jackson wasted no time in wrapping a strong arm around my shoulder and putting more weight than necessary on me. It took all I had to hold him up and stay on my feet under it all. I wasn't going to give him the satisfaction of me sinking under him. We headed for the gym door, him hobbling and me struggling to stay upright. Fortunately for me, the nurse's office was just down the hall. At least I didn't have to drag him across the whole school.

"So," he started as soon as we were out in the empty hallway. "How's your relationship with Mr. Ross?"

"Fine," I grunted.

"And with Mr. Firay?"

I shot him a glare. "We have no relationship."

He raised an eyebrow. "Really? Since when are you guys not friends?"

"We're still friends," I responded with a sigh.

"Has he confessed his love for you yet?"

I ignored him, focusing on the tiled floor. It really didn't make sense that he knew Bryant but didn't know it was Matt and I dating. Was Bryant playing some kind of game with him? Why would Bryant tell him it was Sage and I dating? Why wouldn't Bryant just say it was Matt I was dating? My mind hurt just thinking about it. I couldn't be sure of anything with Bryant. He could have some great mastermind plan that both Jackson and I were unaware of.

"Daphne, I need you to do me a favor tomorrow," Jackson spoke up again.

"That's too bad," I responded.

His eyes lit up in amusement. "Let me rephrase that. You have to do me a favor tomorrow."

"I don't have to do anything, Jackson."

"You don't want the faculty finding out about you and Sage, right?"

I laughed through my nose. "I don't need to worry about that."

"Oh yeah?"

"They wouldn't believe you, Jackson. You have no proof."

He tightened his arm around my shoulder. "I wouldn't be so sure of that, Daphne."

My heart skipped a beat. What did he mean by that? There was no way he could have any evidence against Sage and I because we _weren't_ a couple. I easily calmed myself down. "You're lying," I said, calling my bluff.

"You can think whatever you want," he responded smoothly. "Just know I can destroy you two at any moment. You don't want him to get fired, do you? Or you getting expelled when I say you were getting good grades out of it?"

I took a few deep breaths through my nose to keep myself steady. Jackson was all talk. "There's no way you have proof of us together."

"I could show you if you like."

I paused, making both of us come to a halt. He cocked an eyebrow, the corners of his lips twitching up. Was he lying? Or telling the truth? What evidence could he have? My mind raced, but nothing came up. Sage and I had only kissed once, and I was positive he didn't take a picture— he had been frozen. Sage and I didn't write notes to each other. We hardly talked in school aside from gym class. Even at the dance we weren't together besides when we arrived together. Jackson couldn't have anything. "Show me," I demanded confidently.

"Sure," he responded, sticking his free hand into his back pocket and producing his cell phone. "You sound pretty dubious. I'm sure this'll change your mind."

An uncomfortable feeling spread through my stomach. A cell phone? That meant it had to be some type of picture. But there were no pictures of Sage and I in any kind of revealing position. Were there…?

"Take a look," Jackson offered, holding out the phone.

Holding my breath, I took a close look at the picture he was showing me. My heart nearly stopped beating. It was a picture from the wedding in New Jersey. Immediately I began to panic. Who had taken this picture? Sage proposing to me had been a joke! No one would believe this picture, right? I stared at it again, my heart sinking. It did look pretty convincing. Sage was kneeling on one knee on the ground, one of my hands in his. To top things off he was in a suit and I was in a dress. But still… "N-no one is going to believe this picture," I stated as coolheaded as I could.

"Well maybe not with that picture alone…"

Now my heart _did_ stop. Jackson used his finger to slide to the next picture on his phone. One of Sage and I slow dancing. Inwardly, I groaned. That wasn't good. "How did you get those pictures?"

"Wait, wait, I have one more!"

I held my breath in anticipation. There couldn't be anything worse. Sage hadn't pulled any stunts like that in a long time.

"Here."

When my eyes landed on the next picture, they widened. It was a picture taken from behind us. Sage was kissing me on the cheek, his face visible on at a side view. You could only see the back of my head in the picture. My eyebrows furrowed together. I couldn't remember a time where Sage had kissed me on the cheek. I didn't even own that blue striped polo I was wearing in the picture… I nearly gasped when realization hit me. The reason I didn't remember the scene was because that _wasn't_ me. It was the other Daphne. Sage's cousin.

"I see you recognize the picture," Jackson commented, snapping his phone shut. "Now you understand I can easily tell on you guys, right?"

"Did Bryant send you those pictures?" I interrogated, narrowing my arms. He would be the only person who would send Jackson pictures to get me in trouble. Maybe having Jackson think Sage and I were dating _was_ part of a bigger plan.

Jackson snorted. "Bryant's in jail. What do you think?"

"That one of his followers did it," I responded, gritting my teeth.

"My lips are sealed," Jackson told me, placing a finger against his lips. "I just wanted to let you know you really do have to do what I ask you to. I bet you'd feel like crap Mr. Ross got fired because of you, right? As long as you do what I say, I won't tell."

I kept my mouth shut. Apparently Jackson didn't know that last picture wasn't me. But even so, there were those two other pictures where it was very obvious it was me in them. The faculty didn't know about the other Daphne. They would just assume that third picture _was_ me and that I _was_ in a relationship with Sage. "What do you want me to do?" I finally responded with a sigh.

An expression of superiority crossed his face. "Well first of all—"

Before he had the chance to move, I snatched his phone from his hand. Surprise crossed his face as I swiftly ducked out from under his arm, turning to run back to the gym. If I could delete those pictures, I was home free.

"Daphne!" he shouted after me.

I ignored him, flipping open the phone. Seconds later I felt my arm being tugged back in a rough manor. The phone nearly slipped from my hands. I glanced over my shoulder, seeing Jackson glaring at me. He reached for the phone but I quickly moved it out of his way. How was he standing on his ankle? Wasn't it injured?

"Give me my phone," he ordered, clenching my arm in his hand.

I winced, shaking my head. "No." I attempted to push him away, but he just held onto me tighter.

"Don't make me hurt you," he warned, yanking my body closer to his. With his free hand, he grabbed the front of my shirt. "I'm not someone you want to mess with."

I held my ground. "I've fought off Everafters tougher than you, Jackson."

In one, swift motion he had me against the brick wall of the hallway, one of my arms pinned behind my back. "I wouldn't be too sure."

"What do you want from me?" I demanded, clenching my jaw. I wasn't going to show him I was afraid of him.

"Payback," he replied simply. "Bryant was like my father. My father who you sent to jail."

"He tried to kill me—"

Jackson cut me off. "The least I can do for him is get his revenge. He asked me to do one simple thing."

"What?"

"Make your life hell."

I glowered at him. "Yeah? Well guess what. It won't work."

"I'll see about that," he said, reaching for the phone again. "Now give me that."

"No!"

He pressed into me harder. "I'll tell on you."

"You can't without your phone!"

"Give me my phone," he growled, grabbing my arm and slamming into to the wall.

I shut my eyes, holding onto the phone tighter. This was the only thing threatening Sage's job and my senior year. I wasn't letting go. Suddenly I felt something sharp sinking into my arm. My eyes flew open and I noticed Jackson's face at my arm. He was _biting_ me!

"Stop it, you creep!" I shouted. "_Ow!_" I was definitely going to get rabies!

"Phone."

"No!"

I closed my eyes again as he tried smashing my arm against the brick again. There was no way I was letting him get it. I couldn't do that to Sage. I couldn't risk my high school career. Someone would come by. Someone would stop him…

As if my wishes were heard, Jackson abruptly moved away from me. My eyes snapped open, only to have dread wash me. Matt was standing there, his angry gaze boring into my eyes. He was holding Jackson by the collar of his gym shirt. I quickly pulled the phone to me, but Jackson snatched it out of my grasp at the last second. It took all my control not to scream.

"Ms. Grimm, what's going on?" Matt demanded.

"Daphne took my phone," Jackson complained, grinning evilly at me.

My chest heaved in anger, but I didn't say anything. If I did, Matt was definitely going to kill Jackson. I didn't want him getting fired too and then getting sent to jail again.

"Ms. Grimm?"

I swallowed, looking everywhere but at Matt.

"Stop ignoring me," he said in a surprisingly hard tone.

"Uh-oh, the teacher is getting angry," Jackson commented, amusement leaking in his tone. "I better go before I get in trouble too. See you tomorrow, Daphne. Don't make plans for after school."

I glared at the back of his head as he started walking down the hall, not staggering in the slightest. Was the ankle just a trick?

"What does he mean, Daphne?" Matt inquired, moving closer to me.

I looked up at him for a split-second— a big mistake. His piercing eyes caught mine and I found it impossible to look away. I just wanted to kiss him… No. I couldn't kiss him.

"Why are you ignoring me?"

My heart nearly broke at the desperate tone in his voice. It took all I had to force myself to look away. He had to apologize first… I couldn't forgive him until he apologized.

Luckily, the bell saved me from having to answer. My shoulders sagged in relief and I hastened away from him. I could deal with him later. For now I had to get away from him before he interrogated me about Jackson, or started making me feel guilty. I grumbled to myself. Matt was going to be pissed. I should have just punched Jackson and ran… No, I couldn't have done that. I would have been suspended. I sighed. I really needed to confront Jackson outside of school.

The rest of the day passed by in a blur. I barely focused in Spanish class. When the final bell rang, I hurried to the gym, going the long way to avoid the science wing. I needed to talk to Sage. He was shooting a basketball when I entered the gym a few moments later. A three-pointer swished in the basket and he let out a cheerful whoop.

"Good job," I commented, making him jump.

He gave me a sheepish look. "I thought I was alone."

"Nope. So, guess what?"

"Matt caught you coming down here?"

I shook my head. "No. Jackson has a picture of you proposing to me."

Sage blanked. "What?"

"Remember? At Daphne's wedding? Yeah, I guess someone took a picture of that and it got to Jackson. He also has a picture of us slow dancing _and_ a picture of you kissing the other Daphne, but it looks like me."

Sage ran a hand through his shaggy hair. "Shit…"

"If he shows the office those, we're done for."

He swore a few times more. "How did he even get those pictures?"

"Probably someone with a connection with Bryant."

"That bastard," he growled, clenching his fists. "You'd think now that he was in jail we wouldn't have to bother with him.

I cupped my elbow with my hand, letting my gaze drop to the ground. "Guess not… As long as I do what Jackson says, he won't tell anyone though."

Sage's feet appeared in my field of vision as he grew closer to me. "Don't give in to him, Daphne."

"But Sage, I don't want you to be fired."

"Worry about yourself. I have two jobs."

"If he tells I could be expelled."

"Shit."

"Yeah."

He sighed. "Okay. I really hate to say that, but maybe you should just listen to him until I figure out a way to fix this. If he asks you to do anything illegal or something you're not okay with, tell me. I'll tell the office something that'll only get me in trouble."

"But Sage—"

"No buts. You should feel lucky Matt isn't in my position. He needs this job. I don't. Hopefully I'll be able to figure something out…"

Before I could say more, the gym door opened and Ariana and Wendell appeared, laughing together. Sage and I relaxed our tense states. "Hey guys," Wendell called. "What's up?"

"Playing some basketball," Sage and I responded simultaneously.

Wendell cocked an eyebrow. "Oh? Should we have a two-on-two match?"

Ariana grinned. "I like that idea."

"I'm up for it," I said. Anything to get my mind off Jackson. And unlike volleyball, I was actually okay at basketball.

"What will the teams be? Wendell and Daphne against Ariana and I?" Sage suggested, picking out a basketball from the rack next to him. "Would that be even?"

"Are you good at basketball?" Wendell inquired.

Sage kept his face emotionless. "I'm okay."

"Ariana is good, so she'll match you well then. Daphne, are you ready to take them down?"

I swung my arm like a sailor. "Ay!"

"Then let's do this," Sage said, grinning again. "Come on Ariana. We'll let you guys start with the ball."

We started the game, and just like that, all the tension in my body from earlier was gone. Instead of thinking about Matt and Jackson, I had to focus on stealing the ball, passing the ball, shooting the ball, blocking Ariana and Sage… It was a good distraction. Unfortunately for Wendell and I, Sage had lied when he said he was okay at basketball. He was like a British Michael Jordan. He and Ariana were tearing us apart.

"Interception!" I shouted, smacking the ball to the ground as Ariana tried to pass it to Sage.

"Run, Daphne!" Wendell all but screamed at me.

"This isn't football!" Ariana added with a laugh.

I ignored her, dribbling the ball as speedily as I could toward the other side of the court. Sage was hot on my trail, shouting distracting things at me. Soon I found myself laughing too hard to keep running straight. "Lay off, Sage!"

"I'm going to get you!" he told me, his voice far too closer for comfort

"Shoot, Daphne!" Wendell yelled from the other side of the room.

I came to a stop, raising my eyes to the hoop. It was a little further than I thought it was. Just as I pushed the ball away from my chest, Sage crashed into my back, causing us both to fall to the floor. My face made a sickening _splat_ as it hit the floor. Instead of it hurting though, it only caused me to laugh harder.

"Score!" Wendell shouted after a second. "Three pointer!"

"Are you okay, Daphne?" Ariana called, running over to us. "Wendell, stop celebrating!"

Wendell shot her a dirty look. "Sometimes it takes sacrifice for good things to happen."

I rolled my eyes at him, attempting to push myself off the ground. "Sage, get off me."

"I can't believe you made that shot," he complained, rolling off my legs. "Luck of the Irish."

"Makes sense, since I'm Irish…"

"You are?"

I nodded. "A whole lotta Irish. And German, of course."

"I am too," Ariana pitched in, holding out a hand to me.

Sage frowned. "How come you never wear those _Kiss Me, I'm Irish_ shirts?"

We both made faces. "Why would we?"

He shrugged. "I would, if I was a girl."

"I think you can get them for guys," I commented thoughtfully.

"Hey!" Wendell called, jogging up to us. "Are you going to chitchat all day, or are we going to continue the game? We need like 100 points to catch up, Daphne."

I shook my head at him, grinning. "Okay, okay. It's your turn to start with the ball," I told Ariana. "Go get it."

"Lazy," she muttered before dragging to the corner of the gym where the ball had rolled.

I stretched, letting out a long yawn. "We should go get ice cream after this, or something."

"I'm up for it," Ariana agreed, coming back toward us with the ball. "We can stop at the Village Green."

"Ooh, is that the one with forty-one flavors?" Sage asked excitedly. "I _love_ the Birthday Cake—"

The sound of the gym door opening cut him off. All four of us turned toward in. In strode Matt, not looking the slightest bit happy. He froze when he saw all of us. "Uh oh," I muttered, feeling my high coming down.

"You run while I distract him," Sage whispered.

"I don't know—"

"Go!" Sage demanded, shoving me in the direction of the locker rooms. "Go through the boys. No one should be in there."

After a second I of hesitation, I decided to do that. Matt really didn't look too happy at the moment. I didn't want to talk to him until he cooled down.

"Daphne!" I heard him shout after me.

"S'up, Mustard?"

"Move, Sage."

Sage grunted and I guessed Matt punched him or something. Resisting the urge to stop to see if he was okay, I winged open the door to the boy's locker room, and hurried down the steps. Seconds later it opened again and Matt demanded me to stop. My eyes widened slightly. Just how fast could he run? My question was answered when I only managed to take about seven steps after reaching the bottom of the stairs before he grabbed my arm, yanking me to a stop.

"Daphne," he started, his grey eyes piercing into mine.

I looked away, my heart hammering in my chest. "Go away," I said, trying to keep my voice from shaking.

"Look at me," he demanded, grasping my chin in his free hand, and forcing me to look at him.

I closed my eyes, biting my lip. He was too close… I wanted to kiss him.

To my surprise, I felt his lips brush against mine. After a moment they pressed harder and he let go of my chin, moving his hand to the back of my neck. Unable to stop myself, I kissed him back, wrapping my arms around him. He moved me backward so I was against the cool, tiled wall of the locker room. I pulled him closer to me, deepening the kiss. Thrills of electricity went through me when he ran his hand down my back and then back up. Our lips moved together in perfect sync, making my head spin.

Eventually he pulled away, leaving us both breathless. "I'm sorry," he apologized, resting his forehead against mine.

"Matt—"

"No, let me finish. I shouldn't have got angry with you. I shouldn't have left you at the restaurant. That was a total dick move by me. As soon as I was halfway home I realized my mistake and went back, but you were already gone." He clenched his jaw. "I should have stopped before I even started. I'm sorry, Daphne. I was jealous Sage kissed you. I was pissed you'd rather go to him than me. I'm your boyfriend, Daphne. Why don't you want me to help you? Why do you prefer Sage over me?"

"That's not it!" I cried, slapping my hand over his mouth. "It's not that I don't want you to help. I need you to listen to me, Matt."

He nodded his head. "Okay," he mumbled into my hand.

"If you say something to Jackson, he'll get Sage fired and there's a chance I can be expelled. He has stuff on me, Matt. That's why I said you couldn't tell him. He can't know that I told you."

"But he's threatening you," he responded in a hard tone, easily pulling my hand away from his mouth.

"And I can handle it," I pressed. "I've been through worse. You should know that."

"I don't want to see you go through that again."

I shook my head. "It's different, Matt. This time it's my battle. You don't need to worry about me."

He snorted. "It's not a choice, Daphne. It's an automatic reaction."

I pressed my lips back to his for a brief moment. "You won't say anything to him, right?"

"I won't," he promised begrudgingly. "If he ever threatens you physically I want to know though."

"I'll let you know," I vowed. "I don't think he wants to physically harm me though…"

Matt scowled. "Then what was that in the hallway earlier?"

"Er, well, he has pictures of Sage and I on his phone…"

A sigh left Matt's lips. "I can probably guess what they are of… Come on," he said, offering me his hand. "I don't want to discuss this now. I have a feeling I'm going to be mad. We'll discuss it later. I want to play basketball."

"You do?"

"Why do you sound so surprised?"

"You never pinned me as the sporty type."

He grinned. "Really? Then I guess I have a chance to impress you."

"Good luck," I responded, smiling back at him.

He swiftly planted a kiss on my nose. "I don't need luck. I have skill."

When we emerged from the locker room, Ariana, Sage, and Wendell were all sitting cross-legged on the ground playing crocodile. I raised an eyebrow at them. Ariana grinned sheepishly at me. "Well, this is awkward."

"He apologized first, right Daphne?" Sage asked, springing up from the ground.

I nodded. "Yes. He was a good boy."

Matt scowled at Sage. "Come here, you brat."

Sage shook his head. "Uh-uh. No way. If you want to be angry with me, take it out with this basketball." He tossed the basketball in his hands to Matt."

"Okay, stay still so I won't miss—"

"No!" he cried, flinching as Matt raised his arm. "Not by throwing it. By beating me in a match. Let's do Daphne and Matt against Ariana, Wendell, and me."

I pretended to crack my knuckles. "Prepare to go down this time, Sage."

He smirked at me. "I should be saying that to you."

"I remember in high school you would cry when you lost to me," Matt commented casually.

"I wasn't crying! I had something in my eye!"

Wendell snorted. "That excuse is way over used."

"I'm serious!"

Ariana gave him a pitying look. "Wow, Sage. I don't think I can look at you the same way."

He scowled at her. "I didn't cry!"

"You're in denial," I stated.

"I'm not!"

"Yep, denial," Wendell, Ariana, Matt, and I agreed.

He snatched the ball from Matt's hands. "Oh, it's on. And guess who's going to be the one crying this time?"

"Not me," Matt responded casually. He glanced at me. "Daphne's on my team. I can't let use lose."

I smiled back at him. "Don't worry, Matt. I'll be able to support us if you can't."

He scoffed. "We'll see."

Sage tossed the ball to me. "Since you guys only have two players, you start."

"Okay," I responded, bouncing it back to him.

He caught it and sent it back. The game was on.

* * *

**A/N. **Longer than usual chapter (this chapter was 14 pages on Microsoft; usually they're 11-13 pages), so I hope you guys like! I'll be updating Monday since I don't have school that day and Tuesday (Parent/Teacher Conference thing).

**QotU Winner**: The only one who answered (but had an ABSOLUTELY wonderful answer) was **Key-2-Soul! **Thanks for the advice! :D

**New QotU**: Superpower ability you'd love to have and why?

Okay, I lied. **I'm replying** (because I feel terribly guilty) **to replies** not only that, but because I don't really want to play Just Dance for the 20th time this week (my cousin is so demanding and she's only five)! :D

**Replies:**

CupinCakes : Lol. And thanks for the input! The whole week thing will only be for one week, though, haha. I did it for FTFT and many reviewers were pleased.

Katie: Home Ec. Sorry for the confusion! I need to better proof read these chapters…

emowriter : Lol. Aw, don't shut Matt out; he's just protective. I'm thinking about posting a chapter in Matt's POV, so you can see his side. Sariana, yes. :D Heehee, Underpants was pretty good looking. I love Takizawa, though. Heehee…

Key-2-Soul : Thanks! :D Haha, that's cool! Oh, you have no idea how many times I say sorry in an hour. SO. MANY. TIMES. Especially on school days when I bump into people in the crowd. Supportive friends for the win! Hmm…good question! Daphne isn't really a popular person. She's not an outcast either, but...she's average. And she doesn't tell anyone else that's she going to his room. People might notice her being given notes, but they won't know who from...ah, that's what you just said, isn't it? Maybe people are curious at first, but then they forget about it because she's average? Haha, I'm not sure –This isn't my actual story so I haven't worked out all the kinks yet. _That _is a very good idea. I think it'll really help me. Thanks!

Guest: Haha, thanks so much! Thanks for the feedback!

Curlscat: Thanks for finding that. I see the issue. Haha, funny you should say that. Jordan Lynde actually did write this part (well, the night of Daphne and Mustardseed's date) in Matt's POV. It was really good. I'm not sure if she'll let me post that (she already let me post two of her stories, not sure if she's okay with letting me post her one-shots, too), but we'll see.

Alexandra Jackson rocks Hades: You were moody because you thought he was going to, then he didn't, and _then _he did? So…when writing this review, that was before he kneeled? Because I don't think you'd be moody if you were expecting him to propose and he did. :D But that is so cute! Congratulations! Haha, I'll keep that in mind.

creamychocpudding786: Ha, sorry for the wait! Hahaha! :D Thanks!

Hurting with a smile: Haha, that'd be QUITE a sight! Thanks for the review!

Laylaenchantix101: Haha, all the girls were probably like, "OHMYGOSH, YOU BROKE THE RULES! YOU'RE NOT ALLOWED TO CALL THE HOT TEACHER UGLY! Jail for you!"

GrimmGirlLove: Lol, your reviews never cease to make me smile! Thanks! Go do your "crapload" of homework, haha. Don't procrastinate. :D Thanks for the chapter and baaai!

See you guys Monday!

~Lara


	29. Chapter 29: Lethargic

**A/N. **Hi guys!

**Today is the last day to vote for your top three picks for TBSGS2012! **Congrats to everyone who made it by the way! :D I think I've read 98% of all of the nominated, and they're all really really great!

It seems that I misinformed everyone -I can't update tomorrow, actually, hah. I have a persuasive paper to finish (three more paragraphs!) and I'm touring a high school in the morning. But I hope you guys enjoyed the updates this weekend brought. Like three in one weekend, right? Basically? :D

QotU Winner: Laylaenchantix101 because her reasoning was quite poetic, heehee. All of you had awesome ideas, though! I think I'd like to be able to become invisible, along with anything I'm holding, like Violet from The Incredibles. Then when my dad comes to check up on me, I can be lying on the floor, reading on my phone, and he'll think that I'm wrapped up underneath my covers that I placed accordingly. ;D

New QotU: For those that are in high school now, how was the transition between HS and middle school? If you're not, how was the transition from elementary to middle? :) (Reason for this question is because I'm taking a tour tomorrow around a high school I think I may want to go to, but I'm a little nervous anyways.)

**Whoop! Whoop! 555 reviews! Congrats, emowriter! **You may ask me four spoiler questions, and I shall answer them. :) Unless you'd like a different prize within reason, heehee.

**Warning: This chapter contains OOC ****Veronica****, _Daphne (_VERY_)_, and Mustardseed **(but that's to be expected for an AU story like this)**. You have been noted.**

Oooh, and** advanced happy birthday to my cousin, Xavier**, who is turning 2 tomorrow! :D Have a good one, buddy!

Enjoy!

* * *

_Chapter 29: Lethargic_

Tuesday morning I walked into the kitchen to see my mom grinning widely at me. "Morning Daphne!" she chirped.

"Morning," I muttered, unable to share her enthusiasm. A yawn escaped my lips and I stretched, feeling my muscles strain. Thanks to Matt, I'd been up half the night texting. Every time I was close to falling asleep, my phone would vibrate and wake me up again.

She continued beaming at me as I moved across the room, heading for the breadbox. "I got you a present."

"Did you?" I said, pulling out two slices of wheat. The soft bread was flopping in my hand as I marched over to our toaster. "What is it?"

"Look to your right."

After pushing down the black lever to start the toaster, I followed my mom's instructions and my gaze trailed off to the side. It landed on a white, plastic medicine bottle. I cocked an eyebrow. "Vitamins?"

"Uh-uh. Look closer."

Wariness washed over me as I picked up the bottle. After I read the label, I wheeled on my heel to stare at my mom in shock. "Mom! _Birth control_?"

"What? I just want my daughter to be safe!"

"We're not having sex!"

She blinked. "What? You're not?"

"No!"

"Really?"

"He says we're not allowed to do anything until after I graduate," I told her, lowering my voice to a grumble at the end.

Her eyes lit up. "So you do want to have—"

"_Mom!_"

She laughed, clapping a hand to her mouth. "I'm sorry, Daphne," she apologized after a minute, sending me a sheepish grin. "It's just, if Matt is anything like your father was, I was expecting you two to be together like that."

I made a face. "Ew, no. Don't even start about your physical relationship with Dad. I don't want to hear it."

A short bark of laughter escaped her lips. "I was just saying that while I was young, he was still a man. Men have desires too, you know. More than women. That's why I was so surprised when you said you and Matt haven't gone that far yet. He must have had past physical relationships, so I just assumed…"

Yeah, like the other Daphne… An uncomfortable feeling spread through my stomach. I didn't want to think about Matt and the other Daphne. But even as I thought that, I couldn't help but wonder how far their relationship had gone. They had definitely been in love, but had they…? Probably, I thought reluctantly. I mean, why not? They were both adults. They were both out of high school. Matt had no reason to say no if she ever tried to come onto him. No doubt she could have him anytime she wanted. While I, on the other hand, was told no. No, no, no. That was all Matt ever seemed to say. It was really infuriating…

"Daphne? You okay?"

Coming out of my thoughts, I gave my mom a half-smile. "Yeah. Why?"

"You didn't answer me."

"I'm sorry, what did you say?"

"I said Matt must really love you if he's the one saying no," she repeated. "I mean, if I was a guy I'd be all over you."

I looked at her in disbelief. "Mom!"

"Well you look just like your mother," she continued, a smirk slipping onto her face.

"Gosh, you've gotten so weird," I muttered, shaking my head at her. "Matt just doesn't want to get in trouble. Which—" I cut myself off, clamping my lips together. My mom didn't need to hear me complaining about why Matt wouldn't have…_it_… with me. She didn't even need to think of our relationship.

"Which?" she pressed.

"Is the smart move," I said, changing my original sentence. "Thanks for the pills, they'll help with cramps anyway."

A frown flitted onto her face. "Wait a second, Daphne."

"I'm going to school," I informed her, grabbing my keys off the counter. "I'll see you when you get home tonight."

"Fine," she said, crossing her arms. "I love you."

"Love you too," I called as I stepped out into the hall. Clenching my keys in my hand, I trudged to the front door, grabbing my pea coat as I passed it. The frigid February air that hit my face made me want to twist on my heel, go back inside, and snuggle under my covers. I had enough of the cold weather. When was spring coming?

As usual, my car took just about forever to start up. After swearing at it (in Daphnish, of course) for a minute straight the engine finally started. Instead of calmly pulling out like normal, I stepped on the gas, making my tires squeal sharply as I turned. The road whizzed by as I did fifteen miles over the speed limit. I tried to calm myself down, easing of the gas and pressing on the break. I would've exploded if I got a ticket. Why was I so angry? My car starting up was nothing out of the ordinary. Sure, I was cranky because I hadn't got any sleep but still…

My mind flickered back to the birth control pills, causing my hands to tighten on the steering wheel. What was my mom thinking? Matt was too goody-goody to let me have my way. It didn't even make sense. We were already doing something illegal by having our relationship. What would sex add? I wasn't a minor anymore; it wasn't statutory rape. Now that I was thinking about it, why did Matt refuse? He said himself he wanted to. The whole wait until graduation thing should have been the same for our relationship. If we're caught, we're done for. It was the same for both!

An angry blare of a horn brought me out of my reverie and I slammed on the breaks, flying forward in my seat. It was at that moment I realized I wasn't wearing my seat belt. A groan of pain left my lips as my chest was crushed against my steering wheel, causing my own horn to burst, ripping through the quiet morning air. Pushing myself back into an erect position, I looked at the driver of the car I'd almost crashed into. To my surprise, it was Matt. I must have left the house _really_ early.

His eyes narrowed at me, concern flashing through them. Swallowing nervously, I reached for my seatbelt, trying to put it on furtively. Climbing out of his car, he began to jog toward mine, stopping next to my window. As he did so, I took in his outfit. A pair of dark washed jeans covered his legs, and a crisp white dress shirt was hanging loosely on his body while a black tie that hung from his throat lay on top of it. It wasn't even casual Friday. How he managed to get away with dressing casually every day, I had no idea, nor did I really care; he looked sexy.

I finally snapped out of checking him out and rolled down the window, a blush spreading to my cheeks when I realized the smirk on his face was due to the fact he realized I'd been checking him out. "Hi, Matt."

"Morning," he responded, putting his hands on my dirty windowsill and leaning his head closer to mine. "I'm afraid I have to pull you over for reckless driving."

I smiled at him. "Since when did you become a cop?"

"Since you almost just killed me. Are you okay?"

"Yeah," I told him, dropping my gaze. "I just got a little distracted."

"Thinking about me?" he guessed in a smug tone.

My eyes drifted back to him for a second. It was true, but it probably wasn't in the way he was thinking. He doubtlessly was thinking I was dreaming about how much I loved him, not how much I was getting irritated with this whole wait-till-graduation thing. Why'd my mom have to give me those stupid pills? Before I didn't care about this but now… "No," I finally responded, sounding a little icier than I meant to.

He cocked an eyebrow at my tone. "Grumpy this morning?"

"Whose fault do you think that is?" I grumbled, trying to cover up for my rudeness.

"Well you didn't _have_ to text me back."

"You do realize your car is parked illegally, right?"

A chuckle left his lips and he leaned down to kiss me quickly on the cheek. "I'll make a mental note not to keep you up at night." Amusement flickered in his eyes for a moment before he pulled away, hastening back to his car.

I shifted mine into drive and started down the road again, maneuvering around the front of Matt's car. Sighing, I mentally reprimanded myself for snapping it him. He had the right idea; it _was_ best to wait until I graduated. However, I couldn't help but think there was some other reason why he didn't want to go that far with me. I couldn't help but think that other reason had something to do with the other Daphne.

As I pulled into the school parking lot, I realized that I was really, really early. There was only one other car in the student parking lot. Glancing at the clock on my radio, I realized it was 6:50AM. Some people weren't even getting up yet! I counted back from when I woke up at six to when I went to bed at three. Three hours of sleep… I was surprised I wasn't dead on my feet or trying to slaughter someone. My parking job was horrible, but I didn't bother fixing it, once again leaving the comfort of a place and into the freezing air. A few, patterned flakes of snow fell from the sky as I hurried toward the building entrance. The figure of a person was leaning against the glass door and when I grew close enough, I realized it was Matt. Lucky him and his teacher parking.

"You look like a zombie," he commented as I passed him.

I definitely wasn't in the mood. "I'm tired, Matt."

"I'm sorry," he apologized sincerely. "I won't keep you up again."

At his apology I managed to lift the corners of my lips up into a sweet smile for him. His apologies always made my heart flutter, even if they were for the silliest things. "It's okay. It's my fault too."

"Do you want me to drive you home?"

The offer was tempting. I would've given anything to curl up and sleep forever. Was there anything important I had to do? As far as I could remember, there were no tests or quizzes or projects due. There really wouldn't be a problem…

"I could call in sick too and we could go take a nap together," Matt coaxed, taking a step closer to me. "Choose quickly…"

"We shouldn't," I mumbled, peeking at the school building. No one was around. We could easily escape…

He chuckled attractively. "We also shouldn't be dating, but we are."

I bit my lip. "I don't know…"

"Doesn't it sound good to slip under some warm covers together, put our heads on soft pillows, and take a nice, long nap to recover the hours of sleep we missed? I'll even cook you lunch when you wake up."

"You're a really bad teacher," I informed him, looking up.

His eyes twinkled. "I know, but I'm sure you're just as tired as I am. So do you want to skip?"

"Yeah," I admitted.

A grin spread across his lips and he gestured toward his car. "I'll go in first and then wait a few seconds before coming to join me."

"Okay," I replied, unable to keep myself from smiling too. "What about my car?"

"We'll pick it up later," he called over his shoulder as he jogged toward his. "No one will say anything about it being parked there."

I nodded, crossing my arms, and leaning against the brick building. Excitement was bubbling up inside of me. Skipping school with Matt felt so exhilarating. It was even more so because he was a teacher _and_ he was the one enticing me. Doing as he commanded, I waited a few moments before sneaking off toward his car. I made sure no one was around before slipping into the passenger seat. He started driving before I could snap my seatbelt.

"Will your mom care?" he suddenly asked, shooting me a guilty look. "I wasn't thinking. I don't want to get you into trouble."

I laughed. "You don't want to get me in trouble, Matt? I think she expects this kind of thing from you after the whole gang situation."

"Well that was mostly Bryant's fault."

The name sent a shot of awareness through me. Hadn't Jackson wanted me to do something after school for him today? Now I wouldn't be there to do it. What if he got angry I wasn't there? Maybe I should've… I immediately banished the thought from my head. There was no way I would give up spending the day with Matt for him. He could be as angry as he wanted. I didn't care.

"I'm tired," I complained.

"We're almost there," Matt said with a laugh. "Hopefully my bed will still be warm."

I reached over to take his hand into mine. "We'll warm it up."

He squeezed it. "Make sure to have your mom call you in sick when we get to my apartment."

"Oh, yeah."

"You sure she'll be okay with this?"

"She'll be more than okay. Matt, you do realize she loves you more than me, right?"

A smirk flashed across his features. "Well—"

"Don't even say what you're about to say," I interjected, shaking my head. "I don't want to have to deflate your ego."

"Ha ha, Daphne. Ha ha."

My eyelids felt heavy and I blinked rapidly to keep myself awake. Matt's apartment building came into view and relief washed over me. Just a little while more and I could go back to sleep, then when I woke up again, I would feel more levelheaded and amiable. Matt would prepare one of his mouthwatering meals and all would be good.

He'd barely shut off the car before I bounded out of it, heading straight for the establishment's entrance. The wintry temperature was really starting to irritate me. Matt had to jog to catch up to me. He slipped his hand into mine, slowing me down. "What's the rush?"

"I just want to sleep," I mumbled, leaning against his shoulder as he pushed open the doors.

"Want me to carry you?"

"No."

"Are you sure?"

"I'm sure."

"Are you really—"

"I'm fine," I snapped.

He ruffled my head, chortling. "Boy, you really are grumpy when you're tired. I'd hate to see you on a bad day when you're this tired."

I opted not to respond; it was better than being snippy to him again or going along with his words. He led us to his apartment and took an agonizingly long time when unlocking his door. I knew it was on purpose. Bursting through the door, I stumbled towards his bedroom. He quickly caught me, motioning for me to take my shoes off.

"And call your mom!" he called after me as I hastened for his room again after kicking off my shoes.

Grumbling under my breath, I pulled my iPhone out of my pocket. Instead of calling my mom, I decided to text her, telling her to call me in sick and that I was skipping with Matt to catch up on sleep. A minute later she texted back. _Too bad you forgot your birth control, huh? _Sometimes, I really wanted to smack her. I'd already told her Matt was dead set on waiting. A small jolt of irritation went through me, but I dismissed it, crawling onto the soft, welcoming bed.

"Are you really going to wear jeans?"

I jumped, my arms going out from under me and causing my face to meet the comforter in a rather unexpected way. Sheepishly, I turned to Matt. "Um, yes?"

"Want some pajamas?"

"I guess," I said, reluctantly removing myself from the bed. "I chose the wrong day to wear a button up."

He gestured me toward him. "Come here, I'll help you. Lift up your arms."

Doing as he said, I lifted up my arms. Before I could ask what he was doing, I felt him lifting up my shirt. Despite my attempts to keep it back, a blush was blossoming on my face and grew deeper as he pulled it over my head. "Thanks," I mumbled, crossing my arms over my chest.

"No problem. Raise your hands again."

I did as he asked, but also turned to face him. For a second his eyes were drawn toward my chest, but almost immediately they snapped back to my face. My lips turned into a frown. That wasn't what I was expecting. Within seconds, Matt had one of his shirts over my head. I struggled into it, yanking it down to cover my stomach. "Are you going to take my pants off for me as well?" I joked.

He didn't seem to find it funny. "I'm going to the bathroom. You know where my pajama pants are."

My frown became more prominent. Maybe I was right. Maybe there was another reason for him not wanting to have sex. Maybe it wasn't only because he didn't want us to get in trouble. But what was it then? Was it because my appearance was close to Daphne's? I thought we'd sorted that out! Confused, I went to his oak dresser, opening the top drawer filled with his boxers and pajama pants. My hand hovered over the pajamas, but my eyes were on the boxers. I bit my lip, trying to decide which I should wear. What would Matt's reaction be if I wore his boxers?

Shrugging, I pulled out a pair. Maybe catching him off guard would provoke some kind of reaction. As I pulled on the pair of underwear, I suddenly felt very self-conscious. Did the other Daphne have better legs than I did? Probably. She definitely was prettier than me. Was that the reason…?

No. I shook my head. That couldn't the reason. Matt wasn't that shallow. My eyes flickered to the drawer. But maybe I should change—

"_Daphne, what…_"

Matt's voice caused me to start. I twirled around, my eyes wide. His beautiful blue eyes were just as wide as mine. Immediately my eyes were drawn to his bare, sculpted chest. It was easier to face than his piercing gaze.

"What are you wearing?" he questioned.

"Boxers. It's um, hot in here?" I said hesitantly.

He groaned lightly. "Daphne."

"What?"

"I thought you wanted to sleep?"

"I do?"

"Well if you wear my boxers, I don't want to let you."

My eyes shot back to his face. He advanced toward me, putting his hands on my hips when he was near enough. I stared up at him, my breath catching in my throat. Maybe I was really wrong about the situation. Perhaps wearing his boxers was all it took…

He closed his eyes for a moment, holding his breath. When he let it go, he pushed me away from him. "Let's take our nap."

"B-but you just said you weren't going to let me sleep—"

"That's because you're inadvertently seducing me. I should really learn to expect this from you. However you still always manage to throw me off guard."

I swallowed nervously, moving forward to wrap my arms around his neck. My toes were strained as I stood on their tips, bringing me to my full height. "What if I am trying?" I whispered in his ear.

He went rigid under my arms. "You're tired, Daphne," he finally said, gently pushing me away.

"You're always coming up with excuses!" I cried, clenching my fists. "I'm not tired! I know what I'm doing!"

"Daphne…"

"My mom gave me birth control this morning," I told him. "But I had to tell her I didn't need it because we weren't physical like that."

Matt set his jaw, his low cheekbones protruding from his skin more noticeably. "We have to wait until after graduation—"

"Why?" I demanded.

"So we don't get in trouble—"

"Matt, we can get in trouble for just dating! It shouldn't matter! Anyway, you never really cared about rules before!"

He dragged his slender hand through his shaggy hair. "Daphne, where is this coming from? You didn't care about any of this before."

I knew that. I knew I hadn't really cared before and I had no idea where it was coming from. Maybe it was seeing Daphne with a baby. Maybe it was my mom's comments about how Matt should have desires. But it didn't make sense. Why didn't Matt want to...to have sex with me? He had all the excuses. Why hadn't I noticed them before? "Is it because I'm too much like Daphne?"

"No," Matt responded immediately, his eyes hardening. "Don't ever think that, Daphne. I've never compared you two since that day on the Ferris Wheel."

"Is it because you're not interested, Matt?"

"You know I am, Daphne."

"Then tell me, Matt! Why won't you have sex with me?"

Before I could blink, he was pressed up to me again. Startled, I tried to move back but he held me close, pushing my head into his chest. "I won't ever have sex with you, Daphne."

My heart sank. I didn't know why, but his words pierced like knives. No, it was worse than that. Tears sprung to my eyes and I shoved on Matt's chest, trying to pull away from him. "Let me go!"

"No."

"Let. Me. Go!"

"No, Daphne. Stop being a brat," he ordered, holding my shoulders tightly and pulling me away from him just enough so I could look into his eyes. "I don't want to have sex with you. I want to make love to you. When you're ready. And right now, you're not ready."

My vision was blurred by the moistness in my eyes, but I could still see the seriousness to Matt's gaze. "H-how do you know?"

"Well for starters, we haven't done anything aside from making out," he started, loosening his grip on my shoulder, a relaxing grin appearing on his face. "We have to progress slowly."

"And if we progress far enough before graduation…?"

He gently kissed me on the lips. "We'll see, Daphne. Now let's take a nap. You might not be tired anymore, but I am."

I nodded, my exhaustion making itself known again as I slipped back onto the bed. "I still am."

Matt climbed over me to his side before sliding under the covers. I copied his movements and found the comforter to be lukewarm. Snuggling closer to Matt, I wrapped my arms around him and lay my head against his chest. He sighed contently. "I hate sleeping without you."

"That sounds cheesy."

"I say a lot of cheesy things."

I laughed, but it was interrupted by a yawn. Matt kissed my forehead, shifting his body into a more comfortable position and making me adjust myself as well. Even if he was uncomfortable, I wasn't letting him go. "I love you," I mumbled into his skin.

"I love you too… and Daphne?"

"Mm?"

"You look really sexy in my boxers."

My face flooded with heat at his comment. He really knew how to get the last word in.

* * *

**A/N. **Aghsteammattdaphnesteamlovep rogresssteaammblargh.

My face is red. It's beet red. Aggh. This chapter was awkward for me. **Tell me if I should lower the steam or not **because this is just how Jordan wrote it for the most part. :3 If you do want me to stop all this madness, just tell me. But note that updates will have to come slower so I can edit all the awkwardness. :D

**Review Replies:**

Trikster Queen: It's like Duck Duck Goose, I think, but with a different name. J

Key-2-Soul: Haha, I'm glad! I've never heard of it, actually, what's it about? Lol, that's funny!

Awwwww! I love this chapter! It's so cute how they make up. I went all fangirl and did the little AAAAAAWWWWWWWW! thing in my head... Which is really unusual for me haha :) Haha, that story was pretty amusing. I can see myself doing that. :D Haha, you're welcome! Hahah, that sounds so cool! I'd love to mess with people. :] Heehee.

Curlscat: That comment made me grin widely for some unfathomable reason. Thanks, grammar police. :D Hahah. :D Shape-shifting would be awesome!

Emma: Thanks! Oh, like Percy Jackson! THAT would be so much fun!

iiGabbyLove: Control over time is awesome. :D SHUGO CHARA FOR THE WIN!

Emowriter: Haha! Oh, wouldn't that be a twist! :D

Alexandra Jackson rocks Hades: Haha, thanks for the wonderful feedback!

creamychocpudding786: Monday only, actually. :3 Thanks so much! Well, something that Daphne didn't do in the previous chapter is going to come back and get her. :3 Dun dun dunnn. Their relationship IS pretty awesome, isn't it? :D Hahha, good choice! :D There ARE so many good ones. :D

Laylaenchantix101: Lol. Maybe because in the real version his name is Jackson? Maybe? J *claps* That was so poetic. Loved it. :D

FlufferLover: Haha, good! I don't know if I'd pick a power like that, but that's mighty cool. :D Haha, thanks! Monday, actually. :3 Thanks for telling me! I'm glad someone actually commented and assured me no racism was found. :D

GrimmGirlLove: I like them because they're entertaining. If your reviews said, "HI! COOL CHAPTER! UPDATE! BYE!" I probably wouldn't like you as much as I do now. J And you comment about the chapter, so you're cool with me. :D Lol. Telepathy is always something I read stories about. There was this story called "Inside My Mind" and this girl…well I don't exactly remember. The author took down the story because so many people were copying it. :3 Lol, asking people to dances would be SOOOOO much easier!

yorkie999777000: Haha, no problem. Ish. I hold tiny grudges. :D Thanks! The basketball thing was annoying? How so? Heehee. I think the reason she chose Matt is because of the things they went through together. They seem to have spent a lot more time together than Sage and Daphne in a short period of time (I'm not including the time in the books where they went to NYC). :D I'd take Sage, too. Haha. Rape Huts United.

yellow.r0se NLI: Haha, YOU TOO! You're so going to win! :D Aw, thanks! She must make Matt beg for forgiveness! They are, aren't they? Haha, thanks! I'll keep that in mind! Oooh, that makes me happy! :D I'm glad I made your day better! Thanks for the review!

See you all this weekend hopefully!

~Lara


	30. Chapter 30: Future

**A/N. **Ohmygoshguys, we've hit the motherload!

**30 Chapters! **(More than halfway through BCC now!)

**Last Round of TBSGS2012! **(We can do this, you guys! :D)

**600+ Reviews** (thanks for the boost, Airene Archerway ;D Didn't you boost the reviews in FTFT also? I feel like it was you who fed my inbox last year…By the way, since you gave an OVERLOAD of reviews this weekend, I'll reply to them through PM sometime this week Just to save my poor delicate hands)

**Catholic Schools Week! **(Book fair, tours, field day, no homework and no classes this week –YES!)

There is much to celebrate about today (_and _it's my grandma's birthday! Happy birthday, Mommy Ba!). Thanks for the awesomeness and for being so awesome and for the _wonderful _support! Yes, yes, you all will get your All-Week-Update (AWU?), but I'm still not sure when. I have to pick the perfect time.

That being said, **there's one more round of TBSGS2012!** **We can do it! **Just go to Elligoat's profile and either PM her or leave her a review (if you're an anon) your votes! I think **you guys have a week and a half at least, so vote soon. **

I got most of you reviewers saying you don't mind the steaminess, but there was one who did complain, so I must lower the _hmmph_. I mean, if my family was reading this, I'd be embarrassed (my mom might say, "Lara, where did you hear all this stuff from?" and I would reply with, "Um…technology?" "I'm taking away your electronics.") for many good reasons. But that being said, updates may be a bit slower, just because editing takes me _so _many hours because I get distracted easily.

**QotU Winner:** All of you guys because I don't want anyone to think "this" person has a better transition than "that" person or such, if thou maketh sense.

**New QotU:** Favorite kind of soup and why.

Enjoy!

* * *

_Chapter 30: Future_

Something sharp was pressing into the soft skin on my stomach. The stinging pain triggered a memory within me. I remembered that feeling. It was hard not to recognize. It was definitely a knife. No, it had to be more than one knife. Someone was pressing multiple knives into my stomach; not deep enough to cause damage, but deep enough for it to start to tingle. Panic welled up in me. My eyes shot open and I wasn't surprised when I came face-to-face with Bryant and James*. Immediately I reached for Matt, but found he wasn't lying next to me anymore.

"Hello, Daphne," Bryant started, a grin I remembered far too well on his chiseled face. "It's been a while, hasn't it?"

My mind was racing. James and Bryant should've still been in jail. I knew for a fact they were in the prison for an extended length of time for attempted murder. How had they managed to escape? And where was Matt? How could he not have noticed them coming in? Well, that was a little bit hypocritical. I hadn't noticed either.

"Cat got your tongue?" James guessed, his eyes narrowing into evil slits.

When I tried to respond, I found my voice wasn't working. In fact, nothing was working— my body was suddenly immobile. The knife tips continued to push into my tender skin, and then pull back in a constant motion. James mumbled something to Bryant, and they both retracted their weapons. Relief washed through me. At least for a brief second.

"I might as well continue what I started before," James mused, examining the honed tip of his blade. "I hope it hurts."

He raised the knife over his head, intending for a deep plunge. I struggled to gain control of my body, but found my attempts completely useless. Scream after scream rose in my throat, but nothing was released. My vocal cords refused to work. Just like the time before, time was thrown into slow motion as the blade was thrust down, ready to bite my skin. Just before it reached my skin, time resumed to normal pace. My eyes snapped shut. The blade touched down, pricking the skin. This time I managed to scream.

Sitting up, the pain worsened and I screamed again, struggling to throw the comforters off of me. As my hands gripped the edge of them, the pain suddenly disappeared. I threw them off me, my eyes opening, and searching for the wound on my stomach. Instead of blood and gore, I found my hand covering the logo of the shirt Matt had put on my last night.

"Daphne?"

The familiar voice registered in my head, and I turned my head slowly to look at Matt. Confusion swept through me. "Matt…?"

His worried eyes searched my face, and then swept over my body. "What's wrong? Why are you screaming?"

"Wasn't Bryant…? A knife…? James?" I mumbled, unable to form a full question. My eyes scoured the room, looking for any signs of the two predators. Everything was the way it had been when I went to bed. I returned my gaze to Matt, my heart gradually going back to its normal pace.

Matt's arms shot around me, and he roughly pulled me to his hard chest. "Daphne… It's okay, no one is here."

"But what about the prickling on my skin?"

"That was Milkshake kneading your chest before you flung him halfway across the room. Bryant and James are in jail, remember?"

Embarrassment washed over me when I realized I'd been dreaming. My arms snaked their way around Matt's waist. "I'm sorry. It was just a dream. I guess I was kind of half-asleep and half-awake."

"Don't apologize," he scolded quietly. "I should be the one saying sorry. I didn't realize you had nightmares about them."

"I don't usually," I murmured, pressing my face into his smooth shoulder. "It hasn't happened in at least a month."

He kissed the top of my head. "You should have told me."

I shook my head. "I didn't want you to feel bad."

"Well I feel worse now," he returned in a gruff tone. "You'd think that… scar on your stomach was enough of a memory of that accident? Now you have to have nightmares? I want to go to the prison, and punch them in the face now."

"You can call it ugly," I told him, guessing the reason for why he'd hesitated before saying 'scar'. "It _is_ ugly."

"No, it's not," he said sharply.

"Yes it is."

He gently pried my arms from around him and pulled away so that I could see into his penetrating gaze. "I hardly notice it's there."

My lips turned down into a frown. He hardly noticed it was there? Yeah, right. And I hardly noticed the way the little dimple on his left cheek would appear when he smirked. Irritated, I reached the bottom of the t-shirt I was wearing and yanked it far enough up so that the smooth, pale scar on the soft skin of my stomach could be seen. "You hardly notice that?" I demanded, pressing my finger to ugly blemish on my skin.

He made a face, closing his hand over mine, and trying to pull the clothing back over it. "Daphne, stop."

"Will you hardly notice it during the summer if we go to the beach, and I wear a bikini?"

His eyes lit up, a sly smile spreading across his face. "Well if you wear a bikini, I'll probably be too preoccupied to notice it."

"I know it's there, Matt," I stated flatly, tensing the muscles in my arm so he couldn't pull it back down. "I prefer if you don't ignore it."

An exasperated expression flashed on his face. "I'm not ignoring it."

"Yes you are!"

"No, I'm not."

My cheeks puffed out in irritation. "Oh yeah? Then why haven't you looked at it once?"

His gaze turned from the corner of the room to my eyes. They smoldered, a stormy look crossing them. "I don't like looking at it—"

"Ha—"

"And it's not because it's ugly," he finished firmly. The hand that wasn't holding mine traveled to my stomach, where he traced the scar with the rough side of his thumb. It tickled, and I squirmed under his touch. The corners of his lips lifted up in amusement. "I bet you know the reason why I don't want to look at it."

I blinked at him. "Because it's ugly—"

He lightly slapped my stomach. "No. The only reason I don't like to look at it is because it reminds me of the time you got hurt because of me, and I was helpless to stop it. I don't like that feeling, Daphne."

"Oh," I said lamely, lowering my gaze. That wasn't what I expected. Now I felt like an ass. "You shouldn't worry about that. That was my fault anyway—"

He tsked, shifting his body so that he was kneeling over me. The mattress of that sight sunk down, causing my body to tilt to the right at an angle. Matt's umber hair hung in his face, hiding his expression from me. I waited a moment, anticipating the moment he reprimanded me for saying that incident was my fault. "Matt?" I said after a moment, furrowing my eyebrows together. "Is something wrong?"

"That wasn't your fault," he told me in a resolute tone.

I smiled at his reaction. It was just like him. "But it really was my fault— what are you doing?"

He started moving his head closer to my body, but he was lowering it to my stomach, not my head, as he usually would do for a kiss. The muscles in my stomach tightened in anticipation, ready for a head-butt, or the like. Instead, he did something totally unexpected. He blew a raspberry on my stomach. My eyes flew open in shock.

"Matt!" I cried, attempting to shove his head away.

My actions had no effect. He pressed his lips to my skin and did it again, making me writhe under the touch. The more I struggled to get away from him, the more he continued doing it. Eventually I started laughing. "Seriously, stop!" I demanded, trying to catch my breath. "Matt! Matt! Mr. Firay!"

"Mr. Firay?" he repeated, pulling his head away for a split-second. "I think that deserves another one…"

"Please!" I begged, tears starting to form at my eyes from laughing too hard. "Stop it!"

Now he started laughing, finally pulling away. I glowered at him as heat rose to my cheeks as his smug stare. A groan of disgust left my lip as he swiped his hand over my stomach, smearing in the slobber his raspberries had left there. After a moment I shoved his hand away, yanking my shirt over the bare patch of skin. He continued to look complacent.

"You're disgusting," I finally declared.

A short bark of laughter left his lips. "Am I?"

"Who does that to people anymore?" I complained, making a face. "My mom used to do that to me when I was like one!"

He shrugged. "Your reaction was worth it."

"I need to take another shower now to get your germs off me."

Before I could blink, his face was in front of mine. An eyebrow was cocked questioningly. "I was under the impression you liked my germs."

I pressed myself further into his pillow. "Well…"

Efficiently cutting off my retort, he pressed his lips to mine, giving me a sweet kiss. My body melted and I pulled his head closer to mine, earning a smirk from him. The minty taste of his toothpaste was still lingering from his earlier brush. It made me smile that we had used the same flavor this morning.

"I'm hungry," he informed me, pulling away.

I shook my head, trying to pull him back. "Wait, just a little more—"

He gently pushed me back. "No. If you really have to take a shower, go take one. Otherwise you can help me in the kitchen."

"I can help," I told him moodily, pushing myself into a sitting position.

"Oh, come on, Daphne. Maybe I should stop kissing you so often. You're getting spoiled."

My eyes widened in disbelief. "Spoiled? We're a couple! We're _supposed_ to—"

He chuckled, pressing a slim finger to my lips. "Shh, I'm kidding, Daphne. Geez. No need to get so defensive about it."

"I hate you," I muttered, pulling his finger away from my mouth.

"I hate you too," he replied, quickly kissing the tip of my nose.

After a moment more of laying on the soft bed I finally forced myself off it, rolling to my feet. The carpeted floor under my bare feet was freezing. Shivering, I crossed my arms and began to follow Matt into the kitchen. Before I took even three steps, Matt spoke, "Oh yeah, I thought I should ask…"

"Yeah?"

"Where'd you buy Milkshake from?"

"The pet store at the mall. Why?"

He pointed up at the ceiling. "He's a flying cat."

I looked up and saw Milkshake gliding across the air with beautiful greyish wings on his back. I gaped at him. "Hhh…" I'm sure if I hadn't had any strange experiences, I would have freaked out more. But since I was used to giants and witches and fairies, this was only slightly surprising.

Matt slid next to me. "I feel like naming him "Nyan" would've been more appropriate, don't you think?"

I suddenly imagined Milkshake flying across the universe with a rainbow coming out of his backside singing, "Nyan, nyan, nyan, nyan…". I turned to Matt. "When did you figure out he could fly?"

"The other day when I took him outside and he started chasing a bird in the air." Matt frowned. "I had to tell my neighbors that I was just playing with a really big remote controlled airplane. I don't think they believed me."

"Wow," I stared at the cat. "His wings are beautiful." Along with the greyness, there was flecks of white in Milkshake's wings. I wondered if the storeowner had been an Everafter. When Sage and I had come in, the lady seemed normal, and her name tag didn't ring any bells.

Milkshake seemed to get tired of flying in the small apartment, and touched down near my feet. I bent down and scooped him up. "Hi, Milkshake! I didn't know you could fly!" He replied with a _meow_. "You scared me this morning!"

The little kitten mewed again, pushing his head against my chin. I giggled, scratching him behind his ears. "You're so cute! So adorable! Aren't you? Aww!"

"I'm worried about how much you fawn over that thing," Matt commented warily. "You don't even give me that many compliments."

"You don't like being called adorable," I returned, frowning. "And don't call him a thing."

A dark look covered his face. "I'll call it whatever I want. It doesn't wake you up in the middle of the night just so it can meow at you, then walk away. It doesn't trip you every morning in its attempted to be squashed by me. Worst birthday present ever, Daphne."

I made a face at him. "You love him and you know it."

"If by love you mean abhor…"

"Matt."

He sighed. "Sorry. I'll pretend to like him for you."

Ignoring his last remark, I brought Milkshake back to my face. "Don't worry, he secretly loves you. He just doesn't want to admit it because he's too proud of the fact he claims he doesn't like cats. But that's okay. For now, I'll love you enough for both of us."

Matt muttered something I didn't catch. Milkshake started squirming in my arms, so I placed him back on the ground, and he tottered off back toward the bed. I figured it was too cold for his liking. The air even made me want to crawl back into it and sleep again. "It needs to be summer," I stated.

Matt glanced over his shoulder at me. "I think we have like three months."

"Three months until graduation too," I mumbled quietly. The thought was a daunting one, but a happy one at the same time. It meant that Matt and I could finally have a public relationship, but it also meant I had to think about college… My eyes widened. College! College usually meant going away. Matt's form entered my field of vision, and I studied his broad shoulders. What would that mean for us? I made a mental note to bring that up when breakfast— or lunch, I didn't know the time— was finished.

The clock on the kitchen wall told me it was noon. So we would be making lunch. Matt decided on something simple— macaroni and cheese. From the box. Which meant I wasn't going to get a taste of his topnotch cooking. He must have noticed my disappointed face because he ruffled my hair and asked me if I wanted something else. Not wanting to make him put more any more effort needed into making lunch, I declined, and then went to sit at the kitchen table while he went around preparing it.

By the time he set a bowl of steaming white cheddar macaroni in front of me, my stomach was growling. He heard it and smirked. "Time to feed the beast."

"Very funny," I said sarcastically, snatching the fork he was holding out to me. "I skipped breakfast this morning."

"Do you do that on a regular basis?" he asked, a tone of worry to his voice.

"No. You know that."

He nodded, slipping into the seat across from me. "Yeah, but you could have recently started it."

Shrugging, I jabbed my fork into the mediocre cuisine he had cooked. "Breakfast is the most important meal of the day."

"You should be a biology teacher," he commented with a grin. "You really seem to know your stuff."

"Or a health teacher," I pointed out, unable to keep myself from smiling as well. "That would be the only thing I teach the class. Eat breakfast."

Matt chuckled, shaking his head. "I couldn't imagine you as a teacher."

"Really?"

"Yep. I imagine you as a veterinarian though."

A grimace crossed my face. "Except the part where an animal dies and I come home crying."

He nodded understandingly. "Well that's out of the picture."

"What's Sage going to school for?" I suddenly asked. I'd never thought about that before. I knew Sage went to college, but not what for.

A smirk slipped onto Matt's face. "Believe it or not, but he wants to be a lawyer."

My eyes grew round. "What? Seriously?"

"Yeah," he responded, shaking his head. "I can't picture him as a lawyer, but that's what he's going for. He goes to the local college. Apparently there are a lot of good classes for him to take."

I thought about it for a moment. "I wouldn't mind being a lawyer."

Matt cocked an eyebrow. "A lawyer?"

"I took a law class last year and I liked that," I told him musingly. "I also took an ecology class I liked."

"Daphne… Have you ever seriously thought about your future?"

I gave him an uncomfortable look. "A little bit. I've applied to a few colleges, but I don't know what I want to go for."

He twirled his fork in his hand, dropping his gaze. "Do you know what college you want to go to?"

"One close by," I said quickly.

He looked up at me. "I don't want you to make your choice because of me, Daphne. I want you to go to the college you want to go to."

"The college I want to go to is a college that I can be near you at," I responded stubbornly. "You said Sage goes to the local one, right? That is a really good college. I wouldn't mind going there."

"You don't even know what you want to be," Matt stated. "With your grades, you can get in almost anywhere."

I smiled. "Except Harvard."

"You need straight A's just to visit that campus," he said with a laugh. "But Daphne, don't add me into the equation until you have the base of it. I suggest making some appointments with your guidance counselor, so that you can have an idea of the careers that will best suit you in the future."

Sighing, I laid down my fork. "You sound like my mom."

"We both want what's best for you."

"Whatever I choose, it's going to be something that'll keep me near you," I told him confidently.

He rolled his eyes. "Whatever, Daphne."

I hesitated before asking my next question. "You won't break up with me to make me choose the best option for me, will you?"

"Is that what it would take?"

"No!"

"There you go," he continued, taking a forkful of macaroni in his mouth. "I know you, Daphne. If I broke up with you for something like that, you'd probably be upset for the first few days, but then you'd be pissed and come banging on my door. I wouldn't do that anyway. But I do want you to choose what you want to do."

I stared at my food. "I will. I'm just not positive yet."

"Like I said, talk to your guidance counselor."

"Maybe I'll be a teacher just to spite you. Oh! We could work together too!"

Matt chuckled. "Working with you? I don't think I could handle that."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"Seeing you all the time? At work, at home? We would probably car pool too. Don't you think we'd get tired of each other?"

_At work, at home_… My heart fluttered at the implications. There was no doubt he wanted us to live together later on in life. It sent warmth through my body, knowing that. I really loved him. "Do you think we'll live here?"

He shrugged. "Maybe. But if we want a family we should probably live in a bigger place. I can afford it, so money wouldn't be a problem."

"I thought teacher's pay was crap."

"It is."

"Then how come you always seem to have a lot of money?"

"My parents had a lot of money," he commented casually. "After they died it was all left to me, so…"

The gears turned in my head. "Wait, wait. Then how come when we first met you told me you needed the money?"

He cocked an eyebrow. "I thought I told you I only said that to keep you quiet?"

If he did, I didn't remember. "I should have known!"

"But you didn't," he responded slyly. "You were so gullible. Well, you still are."

I scowled at him. "You're annoying."

"I think you mean handsome."

"Just eat."

"I could say the same."

Angrily, I shoved mouthful after mouthful of cheesy macaroni into my mouth. Matt watched with entertained eyes as I did so. After three spoonfuls, I choked, thumping my fist on the table. That made him snort. Once again I found myself glowering at him. This time a blush rose to my cheeks. "Stop staring at me."

"Sure," he responded, smiling, turning his attention to his own dish. "What do you want to do after this?"

"Watch a movie and cuddle?"

"You sure are lazy today."

I shrugged, even though he couldn't see it. "Oh well. Today is a lazy day. What else to do when you skip school?"

Now it was his turn to shrug. "I don't know, but we always watch a movie."

"Well what do you want to do?"

"What you want to do."

"But…"

He grinned. "How about we go for a drive? We can drive around the reservoir and get fast food."

"You do realize it's easier for men older than twenty to gain weight, right?"

He responded to my statement with a confident look. "I have a high metabolism. If worst comes to worst I'll start going to the gym. Or we can go jogging together."

I grimaced, shaking my head. "I don't want you to see me sweaty."

He snorted, covering his mouth quickly. Our gazes locked and he stared at me for a moment before looking away, stifling another laugh. Frowning, I tried to figure out what was so funny about my statement. Nothing came to mind. Just when I was about to ask, he spoke up. "Finish eating so we can leave."

"I'm done," I told him, pushing away my bowl. "If we're getting fast food, I don't need any more."

"Sure," he responded, standing up from his seat. "Do you want to change or…?"

After standing, I glanced down at my outfit— I was still in his shirt and boxers. "Er, yeah…." My eyes were drawn to his bare chest. "You should probably cover up too."

"I was planning on it," he informed me; gesturing with a long finger for me to follow him back into his bedroom.

Swiftly, I changed back into my other clothing. Matt excused himself to the bathroom to clean his face and change. After flinging a teasing comment after to him to which he responded by slamming the bathroom door a little harder than usual, I grabbed my phone to check my messages. There was only one. From a number I didn't know. Curious, I clicked it open.

_Why aren't you in school today?_

_Who is this?_ I typed back.

A few seconds later my phone vibrated, signaling the arrival of a new text. _Jackson_.

I stared at my phone in surprise. How did he get my phone number? Did Wendell or Ariana give it to him? No, they wouldn't do that. _How did you get my number?_

_Answer my question and I'll answer yours._

_Tired_, I typed back honestly. _How did you get my number?_

_Secret_. _You're still coming to help me after school, right?_

Rolling my eyes, I typed back a negative answer. Did he really think I was going to help him after school? He was dumber than I thought.

_If you don't come you'll regret it_, he warned me.

_No I won't_, I responded, snapping my phone shut, and tossing it onto Matt's bed. Worrying about Jackson could come later. For now, it was my time with Matt and Matt alone. I didn't want to bother with anyone else.

Milkshake trotted by at that moment, and I scooped down to pick him up. He meowed in protest, and tried to squirm out of my grasp. "Of course my time with you too," I told him, placing a quick kiss on his head. "My cute, little kitty! Aren't you? Cute, little milkshake—"

"Aww, cute, little Daphne," Matt started, appearing out of nowhere and scratching my head. "My cute, little Daphne! You're so adorable!" he cooed.

I gave him a sarcastic look. "Very funny."

The corners of his lips curved up into a wide grin. "Hey, I was just returning the favor for him."

"Let's just go," I said with a sigh, dropping my head. "You act more childish than me sometimes."

"Hey, I'm only twenty-two."

"Twenty-three," I corrected. "Old man."

He shoved me on the shoulder gently. "Please don't make me sound like a pedophile."

I grinned up at him. "Sorry."

"Apology accepted," he stated, slipping his hand into mine. "Now let's go make the rest of our skip day with it."

"Let's," I agreed happily.

* * *

**A/N. ***James is the one who stabbed Daphne in the stomach in FTFT. (Peter isn't coming back because I really don't like him as a villain.)

Next chapter will be written by me, I hope. (**Edit: No, the next chapter isn't, but after BCC finishes, I shall write more of my own scenes**) I don't have any homework this week (YAY IT'S CATHOLIC SCHOOOLS WEEEKK!), and I'm staying after school, so I'll most likely get to write _a lot_.

**Review Replies:** (Sorry if any typos found –there was a lot of reviews coughArienebutI'mreplyingtoyoursthroughPMcou gh)

Samantha Louise: I'm so deeply sorry for making you wait, but I actually _did _update three times that week (Friday, Sunday, and Tuesday), so you haven't waited a whole week. It sort of makes me sad when you guys ask more of me when I've already given you a lot. But thank you for the honest review.

Laylaenchantix101: :D You were. She needs more sleep.

Faith: Haha, thanks Faith. I'll think about it.

Trikster Queen: No problem! :D Aw, well, I hope your school year gets better. My 7th and 8th grade years are/were (since I'm still in 8th) were awesome! I really hope you have wonderful years ahead of you.

Curlscat: Really? Interesting. LOL, no I didn't want to know that, but I appreciate your honesty. :D Lol, your capslock amused me.

Emma: Thanks! _Any romance_? Or any steamy romance? Because if I take out romance, BCC is admittedly nothing. :3 You're 11? What I think you should do is wait until you're a bit older and more comfortable with stuff like this to read BCC. Most of the other readers are older, but they're okay with me lowering the steaminess. I'll lower the steaminess, of course. Oh wow! :o Were you reading To Kill a Mockingbird? Because TKAM has a lot of "words"… I'm glad it turned out okay!

foxface333ChocolateLabrador: Haha, good for you! :D Oh, I see! That's cool! :D I'd love to have that in my school. :D Yeah, just a bit different. All right. Funny you should say that, when the real version of this story was ending (before Sage and Ariana got together, that is), Jordan Lynde was having a contest where we, the readers, would write one-shots and I wrote one where Sage and everyone planned a surprise b-day party for Ariana (this was before I knew how they really got together) and he sang Moves Like Jagger to her.

foxface333ChocolateLabrador: Heehee, you can thank your reviewer friends for choosing that name. Bryant _**isn't **_Jackson's dad, actually, haha; Jackson said Bryant is a fatherly figure. No problem! :D And Thanks!

creamychocpudding786: True, true. I'll be lowering it. Thanks!

foxface333ChocolateLabrador: No problem! College should be put first before FF. Sariana FTW! Boganised? Cool word. :D

Hanyou of the Grimms: Thanks so much for the review! Haha, I agree. Thanks again!

Curlygirl23: Haha, thanks! Glad you liked it! And I have absolutely no idea. In my mind, he has golden curly hair, blue eyes, tannish skin, and sort of looks like Alex Pettyfer. As for a celeb that looks like Daphne, I have no idea. :3 Maybe Alexis Bledel, but with darker hair and hazel eyes.

iiGabbyLove: :D My elementary school is from Pre-K to 5th.

CupinCakes: :D Thanks! Ooh, I see. Wow, that helps a lot, thanks so much! I'm glad you blabbed. :D

Key-2-Soul: Hah, I see. It's okay, though. Yeah, it does that. No problem, thanks for the review! By the way, I DID see your QotU answer, and thanks! It'll really help me when I get into HS. And I promise to warn you if we go into "those details". The Tiger Curse series sounds great!

GrimmGirlLove: Lol, I wonder what he's going to do, too. Wonderful image you have going there. You're in 6th, really? I thought you were a lot older. Haha, the lunches at my school stay the same (but they're actually good, so it wasn't bad or anything.) OH YES. The teachers are awesome. They give my grade a lot more freedom than the younger students. I WANT TO HEAR THE LOVE STORY! :D Ugh, my art teacher –I don't like the way she teaches. She doesn't give art freedom. She'll be like, "NO, you have to draw it like _this_. It has to be perfect." Well lady, art is friggin art. Art has no boundaries, you crazy blargh. -.-' But you're lucky you get to sit with a gorgeous guy. :D BYE, AMIGO,

Emowriter: You don't need to have a spoiler question. What do you want? You can review it to me or PM, and I'll see if I can do that. No one-shots, though, because I'm horrible at keeping those promises. :3 Lol, of COURSE I HAVE! Haaaa, I loved your characterization of Veronica!

My hands! My poor, poor hands…I shall go rest them now. :D See you guys this weekend!

~Lara


	31. Chapter 31: Scandals

**Edit: I think I got all the "Heywood"s and "Evers"s out. Review if I missed any more. :) Sorry for the confusion!**

**A/N. **I'm so sorry for the long, _long_ wait. Long story short: Catholic Schools week was water-ballooned filled, the homework was evil the week after, I attended my uncle's funeral mass, and yesterday was Kian, my brother, and yellow.r0se's birthday! Happy birthday, you two!

Because of the past few weeks, I had absolutely no time to write my own chapter. D: I was so disappointed, but I hope the start of the all-week-update will make up for it.

Yup, you heard me. All-week-update starts now.

(Because of this, I don't think I'll be able to pick QotU winners, or reply to reviews this week because of the limited amount of time I have –math project, math test, math extra credit, English test, service hours need to be turned in, and the homework I will be getting this week D:- sorry. But if you shoot me a PM I WILL eventually reply to that)

Oh, and **thank you **for the amount of reviews I received over the week, not just for BCC, but for FTFT and my other stories, too. They really made me happy.

By the way, **QotU Winner**: Creamychocolatepudding and GrimmGirlLove because Creamychocolatepudding's description, though it's not my usual soup, sounds yumm and I LOVE CLAM CHOWDER TOOO.

So…let's start the week with a song, a story, and a chapter:

**Peter Pan by Kira Stone**

_What if I don't ever wanna grow up, could I stay this young forever and ever, What if I like being immature sometimes, And I don't ever want to change…_ Beautiful song by a talented singer. First song she ever wrote, and I'm already so obsessed with it.

**Strictly Business by TheRealOP (Wattpad)**

"It's so simple," I say. "All we have to do is pretend we're in love with each other. You know, hold hands, share Eskimo kisses and all that crap. And at the same time, we'll destroy Jackson and Kristina's relationship. Make them think that their not right for each other. And next thing you know, you'll have Kristina, and I'll have Jackson, and everything will be how its supposed to be. Are you with me?"

"Fine, I'll do it." He leans in close to my ear. "But don't get too attached. Remember this relationship is strictly business."

**Warning: This chapter has mild (mild?) swearing and may seem a bit emotional in my opinion because of bullying.**

Enjoy!

* * *

_Chapter 31: Scandal_

On Wednesday I was well rested and ready to face the school day. Humming happily to myself, I nearly skipped up the steps to the doors. I managed to contain myself in order not to make a complete fool of myself. Usually Matt would be waiting in the entrance hallway for me, but today he wasn't. Maybe I'd arrived too late. Shrugging, I continued down the empty hall to the main building, where it was also empty. This time I was surprised. There were always groups of senior students in this hallway in their little groups, chatting. It was our hallway.

My gaze wandered to the far end of the hall where I noticed a few female students standing idly around, standing on their tiptoes, and trying to see something. Whatever they were attempting to look at was around the corner and out of my field of vision. Loud chatter came from around the corner as well. Curious, I started down the hall, walking a little faster than normal. As I came to the corner, the girls I'd been watching turned toward me, their eyes widening. I returned their look with a hesitant smile. They were obviously way younger than me, probably freshmen. Why were they in the senior hallway?"

I glanced around the corner and my eyes widened when I realized there was a huge mass of people standing around, some of them talking loudly, some of them whispering. They were all standing around the display case. A few guys in my grade were shoving each other out of the way of the case so they could see into it. Moving forward, I maneuvered around some younger students, trying to look at what they were looking at.

A sinking feeling spread through me as a few people turned toward me, their expressions turning to shock as their eyes passed my face. Panic began to rise in my throat and I started to push people out of the way, trying to get through the huge gathering to the display case. My thoughts immediately went to those pictures. There was no way Jackson would have posted those for everyone to see. He wouldn't do that… Would he?

That question was answered as I caught a glimpse of the item inside the case. There were three pictures in it, each about the size of my biology book. Immediately I recognized Sage and myself. A wave of nausea washed over me and my hand shot up to cover my mouth. I could have dealt with Jackson telling the administration. That could have easily been resolved by either pretending all those pictures were of the other Daphne, or telling them I was Sage's cousin. Hell, even Sage getting fired wouldn't be that bad. This however…

"Daphne," an amused voice started from behind me. "I didn't realize you had it in you to do something so scandalous."

Glancing over my shoulder I saw a guy in my grade I wasn't really friends with grinning at me. My mouth was completely dry. "I…"

"You've got guts," he complimented clapping me on the shoulder.

"What a slut," someone else muttered from my side.

I whipped around to see who made the comment. It was a sophomore from the softball team. "You're one to talk," I snapped at her, remembering all the rumors that had gone around. Generally I didn't believe rumors, but she had no basis to call me a slut.

She looked embarrassed I'd heard her. After glaring at her for another moment, she disappeared back further into the crowd. I returned my attention back to the display case, trying to ignore the people surrounding me chatting about me. How was I supposed to remove the pictures? The case was locked. How had Jackson managed to get them in there in the first place?

"Mr. Ross? That's not fair! I want to date him!" a girly voice complained.

I continued to make an effort to disregard the discussion going on around me, but my ears still caught some things.

"I bet she's using him for a good grade."

"That's not like Daphne at all!"

"Hey, I don't blame her, I'd tap that."

"Definitely a whore."

"Ew, she's not even that cute."

"Mr. Ross is disgusting. Why would he propose to a high schooler?"

Unable to stop myself, I turned to the person who'd made the last statement. This time it was a guy I didn't know. He had blonde hair that reached his shoulders and a face that looked like it'd been hit with a frying pan. "Why don't you shut up? It's not disgusting. He's two years older than me, you ignorant jerk."

"Oh, so you're Daphne," the young man responded, smirking. "Of course you'd stick up for a guy like him."

"Guy like him? What are you talking about? You don't even know him—"

"She's sticking up for him! How cute!" the blonde's friend, a redheaded girl, chirped patronizingly. "So how was he?"

I gaped at her. "How was—"

"Are you ashamed?" a different person asked from behind me.

Turning my head, I came face-to-face with yet another person I didn't recognize. "I didn't—"

"What made you think you could date the gym teacher? Don't you realize it's illegal?"

"I'm eighteen!" I cried.

"It's still against the school rules."

"I—"

"Was your grade really that bad?"

People began to talk to me all at once. I felt trapped as they enclosed around me, coming closer and closer. There were at least forty people. Some of the comments were defending me, some of them were complimenting me, but most of them, coming from girls, were offensive. I swallowed hard, clenching my fists, and trying to contain my emotions.

The warning bell rang overhead, but no one paid any attention to it. I attempted to shove my way through some of the boys to the left, but they held their ground, shooting questions at me. Helplessness welled up beside the panic. I could feel my eyes burning—the telltale sign I was about to cry.

"Whore," I heard someone scoff for the twentieth time.

This time, I snapped. My hand curled up in a fist and I twisted on my heel, ready to punch the person who made the comment in the face. It was a girl wearing way too much make up and a short skimpy skirt. Someone I deemed worthy of being on the receiving end of my punch. Lifting my arm, the girl flinched, but before I could land a hit, a strong hand grasped my fist, bringing it to a halt. Surprised, I turned my head to see Matt standing behind me, his jaw set and his eyes hard.

"Ms. Grimm, come with me," he ordered, pulling my fist back down to my side.

"Watch out, Mr. Firay! She might try to seduce you to get an A!"

"Get to class!" he snapped at the student sharply, sending expressions of surprise onto everyone in the vicinity's face. Matt never lost his temper with the students. He never even raised his voice. "Everyone. Get. Now!"

No one was willing to mess with a pissed of Matt. Immediately the students began to disperse. Matt dragged me to the left and the students in our way parted like the Red Sea. My tears were threatening to spill over now and I sniffled, rubbing my nose with my free hand.

"Hold on, Daphne," Matt muttered quietly under his breath, his grip on my wrist tightening.

I shut my eyes, trying to block out everyone around me. Why would Jackson post the pictures for everyone to see? That wasn't fair! Was this really all because I wouldn't help him yesterday? I was going to find that guy and punch him so hard he wouldn't be able to see! Now everyone would think I was some kind of slut doing my teacher for a good grade. Even if the administration knew we weren't dating, the whole student body wouldn't! Now what was I going to do? What was I going to say? What was going to happen to Sage and myself?

Matt led me away from display case, toward the science wing. Some relief washed through me. At least we weren't going to the office right away. Alone time with him would definitely calm me down… I froze, making Matt come to an abrupt stop. He glanced back at me. "What's wrong?"

"I can't go with you," I told him, trying to keep my voice steady.

"Why not?"

"People will think I'm trying the same thing with you," I responded, feeling my eyes grow moist again.

Matt softened his look. "Daphne, I'm not allowing you to go to class. As for everyone else, don't worry. All the students are in homeroom so they won't notice, and the principal asked me to keep you in my room until she and the administration figure out what to do."

"What to do?"

"Sage is—"

"I have to go tell them Sage doesn't have any relationship with me!" I cried urgently, tugging my wrist out of his grasp. "I need to explain that I'm his cousin or something—"

Matt immediately snatched my arm, pulling me back to him again. This time he held tighter and started pulling me down the hallway again. "What do you think he's doing now, Daphne?"

My gaze fell to the floor. "This is all my fault."

"You really like taking the blame for everything, don't you?"

" It's the truth!"

"No," he responded firmly, "it's just a bad habit. This is Jackson's fault. This is Bryant's fault. And this is partly Sage's fault for fooling around with you like that."

I shook my head. "It's not Sage's fault! Of course he'd fool around! We were expecting anyone we knew to be at the wedding."

Matt sighed lightly. "Calm down, Daphne. It'll be okay. Come on, into my classroom." He held the door open for me, gesturing for me to go first.

"Okay," I mumbled, stepping in.

He closed and locked the door behind us, putting the black piece of paper we used during tests to cover the window on the door. I gave him a warning look, but he sent me a reassured grin. "Before you say anything, I was told to do that too. They don't want anyone talking to you."

"And you can?"

"They know I'm Sage's best friend. They've already asked me what I know."

Once again I felt my mouth go dry. "W-what did you say?"

"Obviously I said you two weren't having a relationship, which Sage found amusing for some stupid reason. Next I explained that Daphne is Sage's cousin and that those pictures were from Daphne's wedding. You can definitely make out your face in two of the photos, so I told them you went to the wedding too and the reason you were invited to her wedding was because you babysit Paul, so you're close with her, Andy, and Sage."

"Is that Sage's story too?"

"Yes. And it'll be your story too."

I nodded, but still couldn't be fully relieved. "What about the students, Matt? Did you hear them? They don't even know me—"

"You're right," he agreed. "They don't know you, so don't let them get to you—"

"Matt," I interjected, staring at him in disbelief. "Don't let them get to you? Don't you know that never works? Of course they're going to get to me! They don't have any right to say what they're saying! I'm not a whore! I'm not a—"

He quickly covered my mouth with his hand. "Daphne, it's okay."

I shook my head.

"Yes it is," he said firmly, wrapping his free arm around my waist and pulling me to his body. He dropped his hand from my mouth too, letting that arm join the other around my waist, completely encircling it. He held me so close it made it hard to breathe. "This will pass over quickly. Once they realize how much Daphne looks like you everything will go away. I'm sure there will be an announcement telling everyone the truth."

I pressed my face into his shoulder. "What if this happens to us?"

"It won't happen to us."

"I said what if."

"I said it won't."

Pulling away from him a little bit, I frowned at him. His piercing gaze met mine. "How can you be so confident?" I demanded.

He smirked. "Confidence goes a long way, Daphne."

A smile cracked across my face. He was right. This incident was only a fluke. We didn't cause it. It was all Jackson's fault… That loathsome idiot. My relief was easily replaced by anger. I was ready to hunt him down and beat the crap out of him. For a brief second I wondered if this was how Matt felt whenever he was angry. If it was, I couldn't blame him for wanting to go after Jackson. Jackson deserved whatever came to him. His annoying smirk flashed through my mind as if it was burned into it. What was wrong with him? There had to be something wrong with him. Some kind of mental problem.

"Daphne, would you still love me the same if I wasn't your biology teacher?" Matt abruptly asked.

I peered up at him, confused. "Yes, why?"

"I've been thinking of doing something that might get me fired…"

"What? Why?"

"Because this guy is causing someone I love a lot of trouble."

"Aw, shucks."

"I'm serious, Daphne," he told me, his eyes proving his words true.

"If it's beating up Jackson, don't do it," I advised him, trying to keep the same serious expression on my face as well. It was hard not to smile at the fact he was willing to throw away his job for me. However, I didn't want him to do that. "You would also go back to jail, probably."

He frowned deeply. "Not probably. I would go back. Anything having to do with violence is a one-way ticket back."

I nodded, resting my cheek against his shoulder now. "Then don't do it." He didn't need to know I was already planning on getting him. I wasn't going to beat him up, but I was definitely going to punch him at least once. "I can't believe Jackson would do something like this."

"Are you sure you can't? I'm not surprised."

"I don't understand why he hates me so much. It's not like Bryant was part of his family," I mumbled, breathing in the scent of Matt's cologne. It was amazing how such a simple thing could calm me down so much.

He made a noise of agreement. "Bryant was always manipulative though. He probably ensnared Jackson in some sort of trap. Although I can't imagine any reason why Jackson would do his bidding."

"Unless he was like in love with him," I commented with a laugh. "I would do your revenge for you."

"That could be possible."

"You think?"

"No. How could anyone love that bastard?"

I pulled away to grimace at him. "Didn't Daphne?"

Matt waved his hand in dismissal. "She's different."

"How so?"

"She just is."

I pursed my lips at him. "I think it could be possible. Jackson could be gay…"

"Is that why he tried to molest you?"

Shifting uncomfortably, I dropped my gaze. "You don't have to like women to, you know, do that kind of stuff."

He sighed. "That's right. I don't know. I don't think we'll ever know what goes on in that kid's mind."

"Hey," I started slowly, my eyes widening. "Since this was Jackson's only dirt on me, doesn't this mean we don't have to deal with him anymore? He won't have anything to blackmail me with."

"You're right," Matt responded, grinning at me. "Not that he did a great job of it in the first place. Blackmail doesn't work if you're not consistent."

"Like you were?"

He shrugged. "I wouldn't say I blackmailed you. I just have a way with words and you listen well."

"That was definitely blackmail—"

"One picture."

"Jackson had pictures too. You guys are a lot alike."

"Except I'm not psychotic."

I tapped a finger on my chin. "Well…"

He rolled his eyes, pulling my hand away from my face and leaning down so that his forehead was against mine. "There you go again. Who said you could be the teasing one in this relationship?"

"I did," I responded, lifting my face up so our lips brushed. "It's not fair if—"

An abrupt knock at the door sent us jolting apart. Stumbling, I made my way to the closest desk to take a seat as Matt headed for the door. Just as I sat down, he opened it, letting in the principal. Her expression was weary. Sage followed soon after, looking quite amused. A wink was sent my way when our gazes locked. I stared at him flatly. It was unbelievable how he could be so happy in a situation like this

"Hello, Daphne," Ms. Anderson, the principal, greeted me. "How are you feeling this morning?"

"Fine."

"I'm sure you've seen the pictures?"

"Yes," I responded, fiddling nervously with my fingers.

She gave a light sigh. "Don't look so nervous. You're not in trouble. Mr. Ross and Mr. Firay have already explained everything. Mrs. Pierce is on her way to clear the rest of this up."

"Daphne's coming?" I repeated. "Is that okay? Doesn't she work?"

"She's more than willing to confirm the story," Ms. Anderson told me. "I just need you to answer one question."

My eyes went to her face. "Yeah?"

"Do you know how those pictures were put in the display case?"

"Jackson," I blurted because I could stop myself. When I realized what I'd said, I glanced at Matt. Was that a bad idea? He didn't seem too disturbed by it, so I relaxed a little bit. "I mean, he told me he had the pictures."

Her lips turned down even further. "Mr. Tomber? Was he under the impression you and Mr. Ross were having a relationship?"

"He must've been," I said, not sure how much truth to tell. It wasn't like I could tell her I knew he thought that and didn't correct him. That would make me seem even guiltier.

"I'm not sure you know this, but a number of the student body have seen the photos already," she continued, rubbing her forehead. "I'm sure I don't have to tell you what it looks like."

My face darkened. "No, you don't."

"I will speak to Mr. Tomber as soon as I've talked with Mrs. Pierce. For now, I want you, Mr. Ross, and Mr. Firay all to come to my office. When we're done talking, you may leave the school, Ms. Grimm. No one will force you to go to class with these accusations swirling around. Mr. Ross, you may leave as well."

Sage grinned. "I got a ride with Matt today."

Ms. Anderson rubbed her temple again. "Very well. Mr. Firay, you are excused too."

"We can go out to lunch!" Sage cried excitedly.

"Shut up Sage," Matt muttered, shooting him a dirty look.

Sage faked an offended look. Ms. Anderson half-smiled at him before gesturing for all three of us to follow her out of the room. "Come along," she said.

I pushed a lock of hair behind my ear, closing my eyes for a moment. Missing another day of school meant I'd have to do yesterday's homework and today's now. But it was better than having to face everyone in school while they still thought I was dating Sage. And maybe we could go out to lunch… There had to be some bright side to this situation. Besides Jackson losing his blackmail against me.

"You coming Daphne?" I heard Sage call.

Nodding, I opened my eyes and pushed myself off the desk. Swiftly, I jogged up to Sage, falling into step beside him. A little ways in front of us was Matt, talking to Ms. Anderson about the situation. "Sorry about this," I started, glancing up at the blonde.

He waved his hand in a dismissive way. "What's to be sorry about?"

"Rumors?"

"Do I look like the type to care?"

I smiled at him. "No, I guess not."

"And you shouldn't either," he responded, bumping his hip with mine. "Everyone bad mouthing you is just jealous."

"Jealous of our oh-so-romantic relationship?"

"Exactly."

Shaking my head, I let out a little laugh. "Sage, is it bad I don't feel worried about this anymore? I mean aside from the fact half the school population is going to think I'm some type of whore, I'm actually kind of relieved. This way you won't get fired and I don't have to deal with Jackson's crap."

"I wouldn't count on that too much," he said, pulling his eyebrows together. "If Jackson is acting under Bryant, I don't think it's the end of him. Bryant probably counted on something like this happening."

I blinked at him. "You think?"

"What else reason would Bryant have for telling Jackson you were dating me?" He lowered his voice. "And not Matt?"

"Good point," I muttered, gazing at the elder woman in front of us. Luckily she was still in an animated conversation with Matt, so she didn't catch our conversation. "I guess we'll see what happens next…"

Sage wrinkled his nose. "I have a feeling it won't be something good. If Jackson is this obsessed with Bryant, imagine what he'll be like when he finds out Bryant tricked him."

"Well he could be mad at Bryant."

"Or you and me and Matt and Ariana."

"All four of us?"

"He knew all four of us knew you and I were dating— er, were pretending you and I were dating."

The thought made me frown. Would he get angry with us? Or Bryant? Or both? Whatever the answer was, it probably wasn't going to be good. Which meant I needed to confront him before he tried confronting someone less threatening. Like Ariana.

Sage and I lapsed into silence as we reached the office. It wasn't like we could say much with Ms. Anderson so close. A meaningful look was sent my way by Matt. I took it as a don't-say-a-word-about-anything look. It didn't cross my mind to disobey him for a second. With the principal in the room, it was extremely awkward. Daphne couldn't get here fast enough. To keep myself busy, I started counting the tiles on the ceiling. By the time I counted all of them twice, adding up to one hundred and seventy four, the door opened and in came Daphne, Paul in her arms.

"Hi," she greeted everyone in a breathless voice.

Sage immediately sprang up from his recliner, bounding forward a few steps to kiss her on the cheek. "Hi Daphne!"

Nice move, Sage, I thought with a grin. Why not kiss her like he did in the photo?

"Hello, Mrs. Pierce," Ms. Anderson greeted, moving forward and sticking out her hand. "I apologize for making you come on such short notice. I hope I didn't inconvenience you too much."

Daphne laughed; waving her off in a very Sage-like way with the arm that wasn't holding Paul. "Don't worry about it! I'm happy to clear up any misunderstanding we have here."

Paul squirmed in her arms, making a face like he was about to cry. Slowly, I took a few steps toward him. If he acted like he didn't recognize me, Ms. Anderson might think something was up. Hopefully he would remember me. It hadn't been that long since I'd last seen him. When his eyes finally landed on me, they widened. Immediately his arms shot out toward me, his little hands clenching open and shut. Relief didn't only wash over my face. It seemed everyone in the room felt more relaxed as they watched as I took Paul into my arms.

"Well, he definitely likes Ms. Grimm," Ms. Anderson commented with a chuckle. "I guess that part of the story is true."

"It's all true," Sage, Matt, Daphne, and I all said at the same time.

She stared at us blankly for a second. "Well, yes, I believe you, but I have to double check on all this. Mrs. Pierce, let me go see if the conference room is clear. I'll be right back." With that, she exited the room.

Daphne promptly turned towards Sage and I, frowning. "What did you two do?"

"Nothing!" we cried together.

"Obviously you did something."

"It was Jackson!" I told her. "He had pictures from your wedding and a picture of you and Sage!"

Her eyes narrowed. "Jackson?"

"He was at your wedding. Jackson Tomber."

Now they widened in realization. "Oh! Yes. Bryant and I used to babysit him and his sister. Actually, I put all those photos on my Facebook and we're friends. That's probably where he got them."

"Daphne," Sage said disapprovingly.

"What?" Daphne and I said simultaneously.

Matt chuckled. "That was a Daphne Pierce Daphne."

"How do you know?" she asked.

"Sage's much more affectionate when saying my Daphne's name," he clarified, making a face.

Sage grinned. "It's habit."

Daphne laughed. "Watch out Matt. Maybe Sage will steal Daphne away one day."

"He wouldn't dare."

"Umm, I hate to be the serious one here, but Ms. Anderson will be back any second to talk to Daphne…"

Matt nodded. "Right. Okay, Daphne, here's the story: Daphne babysits Paul a lot, so you invited her to her wedding. She's close to everyone in your family too. Can you remember that?"

She rolled her eyes. "Duh. Of course I can."

"Make it convincing," Sage told her. "And say something like Sage acts like an older brother to Daphne, or something."

"Got it, got it," she sang.

"Mama!" Paul cried, smiling happily up at me.

I grinned down at him. "No, I'm Daphne. Holl-y."

"Watch out Daphne, if Patty comes in and sees Paul calling you Mama she might think he's our child," Sage joked.

Matt frowned at him. "Not even funny, Sage."

"Don't be such a downer."

"Who's Patty?" I asked, confused.

"That's Ms. Anderson's name," Matt informed me. "Well, it's Patricia but you know Sage. He likes to—"

Without warning the door opened and Ms. Anderson gestured for Daphne to follow her out. "Ms. Grimm, Mr. Firay, Mr. Ross, please stay in here for a little longer. When I'm done with Mrs. Pierce you may leave."

We all nodded and they left, putting Sage, Matt, and I in an awkward silence. "So," Sage started slowly, "can we go out for lunch?"

"No," Matt replied, shooting him down.

"I'm up or it," I told Sage, knowing it would change Matt's mind.

Sage grinned. "Okay. Let's make it a date—"

"I'm going," Matt stated predictably, crossing his arms. "I guess it won't hurt since it's during the school day. No one will be out. And everyone thinks you and Sage really are a secret couple now."

"Don't be too jealous, Matt."

"I'm not jealous since I know it's fake."

"Or is it?"

"It is."

I scratched my head with my free arm, dropping into an empty seat and shifting Paul into a more comfortable position on my lap. He giggled, reaching for the silver bangles on my wrist. I sighed. Even if I could get away from the student today, I still had tomorrow to deal with. There was no way the rumors would be gone by then. Hopefully Ms. Anderson would at least try to clear them up. Then next came dealing with Jackson… I definitely needed to talk to him.

From the corner of my eye I noticed Matt watching me with a solemn expression. Guiltily, I looked away, feeling as though he could see into my mind. I didn't want to let him know I was going to try to talk things out with Jackson. Sure, a hands on approach sounded good, but I couldn't do that. Maybe if I just talked to him he would drop everything. If he were hurt by Bryant's trickery, maybe he would listen to me.

I hoped he would listen to me.

* * *

**A/N. **Dramatic chapter, eh? You know what's funny? I don't ever recall giving Jackson or Anna a last name, so "Tomber" will be their last name…if anyone figures out why I used "Tomber" as their last name, they'll get a dedication in the next chapter.

Well, since it _is _Sunday, I'll just reply to reviews this one time, but the rest of the week, I won't because I'll be as busy as a bee by then.

_Review Replies: _

_Alyssum: Haha, no problem! Aw, thanks! Me too! :D_

_xXOnceUponADreamXx: No problem! One review makes me super happy! Heehee, glad you liked it. :D Oh geez, if I made Mr. Firay hit Daphne…bad, bad, bad. Whoops, thanks for pointing that out. __ Haha, you're not a jerk. You'll see in future chapters that Jackson deserved that and much more. ;D Sage! You've never tried Filipino leche flan (but we call it leche plan) then. _

_Samey: Updated. _

_Sadie: Aw, thanks! Here's your update! _

_Guest: Aw, I'm flattered, thanks! :D_

_SuzieZuzu: Thanks, new biggest fan! Here's the update!_

_Guest: Thanks!_

_CupinCakes: Hahha, thanks! Sorry for the long-awaited update but here it is! :D_

_ 103: Did you used to have a SG story? I feel like you do…or maybe that was Dr. Josephine…hmm. Anyways, thanks so much! I first started writing in 5__th__ grade, and BCC was started right after 7__th__ grade (I'm in eighth grade now). Ooooh, you read Wattpad?! What stories do you like?! :D Aw, that really makes me happy. Thank you so much._

_Amy Borden: Thank you so very much, Amy Borden! Haha, suggestions are welcomed. Oooh, I've already planned one of those two things that you suggested. __ I'd absolutely love to publish this, but like I said in Chapter 1, XxSkater2Girl16xX is the actual writer of the story (I just edit it into SG form –with her permission, of course), so if this was published, it wouldn't be under my name. __ But thanks so much! Your comment was much appreciated!_

_Guest: Thanks!_

_Laylaenchantix101: Heehee, I thought this story needed just a bit of randomness. :3 Whoops, thanks for pointing that out! I love CSW. Sometimes. __ Only during our waterballon fight with the teachers did I actually appreciate it. Oooh, we have a teacher v. 7__th__ graders volleyball game at the end of the year! Haha. Thanks! Pretty sure I'm not getting a place, but hey! I got into the final round so WHHOOOOO!_

_Creamychocpuddin: Haha, okay. :D Hahah, sorry for the scare! At least it wasn't real, right? Heehee, I love giving raspberries to my siblings. But I run away from people who give me raspberries. I guess you can say I'm a hypocrite. *shrug* Ooooh…now I'm getting hungry. :D YUP, YUP._

_7julia0000: Aw, thank you so much! That means so much to me. _

_Alexandra Jackson rocks Hades: Hahaha –wait what? My husband is cheating on me?! LEEEEOOO._

_Emowriter: Ummm…chapter dedication, virtual cookie, drawing commission (?) I guess. __ LOL, that made me laugh so hard! By hate you mean love. I hate RR so much that I love him and call him Uncle Rick. Nyan, nyan, nyan._

_emma: HIII! You're welcome! I see, I see –I'll try and see what I can do. OH, I see. Well, I'm reading TKAM right now, haha. No problem! Hahah, he's being serious. :D_

_foxface333ChocolateLabrador: Haa, thanks! Lol, what did you tell your mom after she said, "Why do you hae a funny face?" Haha, thanks! Really? Just a couple masses? Aw. OH, I WISH. They gave us homework! D: It was horrible. Like a regular day. Regular amount of HM. -.-'_

_Hanyou of the Grimms: :D Question: What does "Hanyou" mean? Haha, it serves as an interesting image. :D I don't want to ruin my attendance record, heehee. __ Hahah, very nice! Thanks for the review!_

_iiGabbyLove: He does. Hahaha, "petting"? I wouldn't call that petting…_

_Curlscat: Now I'm hungry again. __ I love stew. Okay, don't give me the details, haha. :D Yup, yup, I see it. What the heck is James doing in jail with Matt? Sage and Matt should be in jail for their pedophilic behavior. Silly me. Yup, commas are now five cents a piece instead of two. Where was the steamy in this chapter? |:? …ah, I dislike how much my eyes miss these things. Thanks for pointing that out. Oh, and that too, _

_Samantha Louise: No, it's my fault. I didn't mean to sound snappy. The perks of being a teenager. __ Well, you're in luck this week because there will be a chapter posted each day of this week. __ Hope you like! And thanks so much! I'll be more compassionate to reviewers in case something like this pops up again. __ And please know, I sincerely enjoy your reviews, so don't beat yourself up over nothing. From what I can tell, you're a very sweet and intelligent person –no need to be sorrowful. _

_GrimmGirlLove: Hahah, I'm so glad you enjoyed the prettyfuls and stuff. __ Milkshake is the most perfect creature in the universe (literally. Nyan, nyan, nyan). Fine, I'll give you a nicer question: Explain to me in three paragraphs what problems Woodrow Wilson faced after the ending of WWI in Europe with supporting answers. (Just kidding) CLAM CHOWDER OHHH MMYYY GOOOODDD. Good grammar makes you smart. _

…_.oh my gods, I just died. That is the best analogy I have ever heard. I MUST SHARE THIS WITH MY SCIENCE TEACHER. Hahahaha, lucky you! How did he flirt with you? Like bluntly ("Hey, you're hot.") or secretively ("This computer polish isn't as pretty as your eyes."). SUBWAY. FAREWELL, MY MOTHER._

I made a video for Computer class this week, and my teacher said I should share it with my friends, so I'm going to share it with you guys! The link...is not showing up. :P Oh well. It was just a "My Favorite Things" video, by with _my _favorite things, not Maria Von Trapp's.

**See you, TOMORROW!**

~Lara


	32. Chapter 32: Doors

**A/N. **Fairly short A/N.'s today! I bet you guys are happy.

Song:

**Catch Your Wave by The Click Five **

_In the middle of the night, that's when you caught my eye. I chased you round in memories, through the breeze and the trees and you tease me… _I LOVE THESE GUYS. I've been obsessed with them for like two or three years.

**Maid for Hire by demonicblackcat**

_What would you do if your new boss if your biggest enemy in school? Popular girl Andrea Robinson has a big secret: she's actually very poor and has to work her butt off to maintain her lifestyle. But when she finds out that she's working for Alec Blaze, the school's most despicable player who dumped her bestfriend 2 years ago, as his maid, her life is completely turned around._

_Alec finds absolute pleasure from annoying the hell out of her, and often she finds herself trying not to beat him up into a mush. But what is actually Alec hiding from everyone? Why he is such a different person at his house?_

_Most importantly, why is it getting harder and harder to hate Alec freaking Blaze?_

Heh, heh…this actual chapter made me really realize why the story is named, "Behind Closed Classrooms." I hope this chapter isn't too steamy. I tried changing a few of the words around to better suit younger readers –tell me honestly if I did poorly. :3 I have to study for a math test tomorrow, and I just got on the computer at like 9:00, soo. :D

Enjoy!

* * *

_Chapter 32: Doors_

Jackson didn't show up to school Thursday. Or Friday. Anna told everyone he was sick, but I figured there was a different reason for not showing up. Probably afraid of the butt-kicking Matt was planning on giving him. The rumors were still swirling around and quite a couple times I caught a few girls giving me death glares. Each time I had to resist rolling my eyes at them. That kind of jealousy was clichéd. The guys, on the other hand, had taken a sudden interest in me, much to Matt's chagrin. It was funny how some things worked out like that. It wasn't that bad, but it was getting annoying fast and Matt was being grumpy. The guys would come up to me and tell me how awesome I was for secretly dating the teacher, or how badass and hot it was, and a few of them were even brazen enough to ask me out because of it. Unfortunately for them, I had to tell them that the rumor wasn't true and that I was his cousin. That made their shoulders sag.

When school ended on Friday, I made a beeline for my car. It had been a long day full of ugly accusations that were a pain to clear up. If one more person asked me about Sage, I was going to _let _Puck pull pranks on me. It would only take about a minute to leave the building and another minute to make it to the vehicle. Then it would be the weekend and hopefully the rumors would disperse.

On the brighter side, for the beginning of March the air was pleasantly warm. Not the exact temperature I liked, but close enough. I tugged at the collar of my hoodie, debating on whether or not I should take it off as I approached the doors leading to the outside. Underneath it was a long sleeve shirt, so I wouldn't get too cold…

"Daphne!"

At the sound of my name I paused, cringing at the prospect of being harassed by strangers again. When I turned, I felt relief wash through me as I realized it was just Daniel. He trotted up to me, a grin slowly spreading across his face and causing dimples to appear. "Hi, Daniel," I greeted reluctantly, shuffling my feet.

"How are you?" he asked, coming to a stop a few feet away from me, shoving his hands into his jean pockets.

"Pretty good, about to head home because I have a, um, doctor's appointment," I hinted, glancing over my shoulder at the door. "Have a good day."

Daniel continued to smile at me, not noticing my farewell. "Hold on. I heard that you're dating Mr. Ross? Is that true?"

Here we go again.

"No," I said in a weary tone. "We're cousins. It was just a set up to get me in trouble."

"Get you in trouble?" Daniel responded skeptically. "I can't see why anyone would want to do that. Seriously, I can't think of anyone who hates you."

I shrugged. "S'pose we all can't be liked, right?"

He still looked doubtful. "I guess… I heard a few guys have asked you out."

"Yep," I replied, realizing I wasn't going to be leaving any time soon. Once Daniel started talking, he could keep going forever, and I was too polite to tell him to sew mouth up.

"Did you say yes to anyone?"

Rolling my eyes, I shook my head. "No way. I'm not interested in kids younger than me."

The corners of Daniel's lips quirked up. "You prefer older men?"

"Daniel."

"Sorry," he apologized, letting out a laugh. "Nothing exciting ever happens in this school, so it's hard to let it go so easily, you know?"

Yeah, I knew that. Obviously, since people still believed the rumors even though Ms. Clemm made an announcement stating that they _weren't_ true. A stray piece of my hair fell into my face and I brushed it away, glancing down the hallway as I did so. My old environmental science teacher was studying me, a smile on his lips. An involuntary shudder went through me. Enough was enough!

"Hey, it's Daphne," an amused voice started, and I felt an arm being slung around my shoulder. "What's up, teacher's pet?"

Shoving the arm off me, I turned my head to see one of the juniors that'd asked me out earlier in the day smirking at me. What was his name again? Andrew? Adam? Alec? Alex? I frowned. Why did it even matter?

"You know Daphne, Aaron?" Daniel questioned, crossing his arms.

"No, but I want to know her," Aaron said, his eyes going back to me. "Have you reconsidered my date?"

My head was starting to throb, giving me a heads up of the headache that was sure to come. Aaron waited for my answer, cocking an eyebrow. Daniel had an uncomfortable expression on his face, looking like he was about to run away. I hoped he didn't.

"Umm, I'm going to go," he told us, slowly slinking sideways, "so I'll see you two later…"

Our gaze met, and I tried to beg him to stay with my eyes. He didn't get the message. After receiving a goodbye from Aaron, he began to jog away from us.

"So," Aaron started, gaining my attention again. "How about it?"

"I… I have a boyfriend," I murmured, dropping my gaze. This wasn't good. I wasn't too great at confrontations. So far Wendell, Matt, or Ariana had been by my side when someone had approached me— heck, even Anna had come to my rescue a few times. Now I was by myself.

Aaron let out a quiet laugh. "You mean you did have a boyfriend. Don't you guys have to break up?"

"We weren't dating," I snapped, confidently returning my gaze to his face. "I told you. I'm his _cousin_."

"Sure."

I clenched my fists. "Whatever, Andrew, I have to go."

"Wait," he demanded, grabbing my wrist. "You haven't given me an answer. And my name is Aaron, not Andrew."

I tried to tug my wrist out of his grasp, suddenly feeling an overwhelming weight falling onto my shoulders. "I said no!"

"Why?"

"I'm not interested in younger guys!"

"I stayed back a grade. We're the same age."

"Aaron, no, let me go."

He shook his head. "You have to say yes first. Could you imagine the guys' faces when they hear I'm going on a date with the legend who dated her teacher?"

Yep, I definitely was going to have a headache soon. The throbbing was augmenting with each word that spewed from his stupid mouth. "That's shallow," I told him, once again yanking my wrist away in hope of breaking free. "More reason not to date you."

"Come on, Daphie Dolly," he pressed, taking a step closer to me. "One date, okay? Just one."

"I don't know you," I protested weakly, the weight on my shoulders seemingly increasing with my headache.

"We can get to know each other."

It was a good thing all guys weren't as pushy as Aaron, otherwise it'd probably be the end of mankind. "I really have to go, Aaron. Let go," I told him firmly, giving him the most threatening glare I could muster.

His eyes crinkled as he grinned. "You're surprisingly cute. I wonder why I never noticed you before."

"Come on!" I cried, shoving him away with my other hand. "I won't go out with you Aaron, or anyone else for that matter! I've never dated Sage and I never will!"

The grasp on my wrist tightened. "Sage? Don't you mean Mr. Ross?"

My teeth ground together in irritation. A mix of emotions was swirling through me. I was tired. I was angry. I was annoyed. I was worn out. What I really wanted to do was punch him and run, but I was afraid of getting myself into more trouble with the office then the scare with Sage. "Seriously, Aaron. Let me go."

"Seriously, Daphne," he mocked. "Come on. One date. I wasn't supposed to tell you, but I made a bet with my friends that you would agree to it, so if you would just say yes—"

"A bet?" I repeated, my eyes widening. Now there were bets being made about me?

He nodded enthusiastically. "So all you have to do is say yes—"

Sometimes persistence was cute. This wasn't one of those times. Especially when it was because of a bet. "No, Aaron. I don't know how many times I have to say it. I don't want to go on a date with you."

"Daphne," he started, his dull brown eyes staring straight into mine. "I have fifty bucks on you."

"Mr. Bergeron, Ms. Grimm, is everything okay?" a hard voice questioned.

Aaron turned, but didn't let go of my wrist. "Ah, Mr. Firay. Everything is quite all right, right, Daphne?"

"No," I said bluntly, not liking the cold look in Matt's eyes. "Mr. Firay, Aaron's sexually harassing me—"

"What?" Aaron cried, letting go of me. "I am not! Daphne! Don't lie like that!"

"It got you to let go, didn't it?" I responded, giving him a flat look. "Now leave me alone."

He scowled at me. "I—"

"Move along or get a detention," Matt ordered, his piercing gaze turning to Aaron. "Now."

"Why have you been in such a bad mood lately?" Aaron complained, shooting Matt a dirty look before pacing away. "Geez," he muttered just loudly enough for us to hear. "You'd think it was _you_ who was caught with Mr. Ross, not Daphne…"

Even though he was annoying me, I couldn't help but smile at his words. Matt just scowled after him, apparently not finding his last comment as amusing as I did. When Aaron was out of sight, he turned back to me. "Are you okay?"

"I've been better," I admitted, rubbing my eyes. "I didn't realize guys don't like the word 'no'."

"Most guys don't," Matt admitted, running a hand through his messy hair. "You really shouldn't let guys keep the advantage over you. Learn how to be more assertive. Have a backbone."

I pursed my lips at him. "Hmph. Easier said than done. Especially when coming from an ex-gangster."

He smirked. "Well…"

"And I wouldn't be the one to talk, Mr. Firay," I started, lowering my voice as a group of giggling girls hurried by us. "You're the one who almost forced Wendell to lick the one little drop of ice cream he spilled on the floor!"

"I have a no eating policy in my classroom."

"No you don't."

"It was amusing," he confessed, grinning at the memory.

I frowned at him. "Yeah, maybe because it was Wendell. But you also nearly gave Sarah a heart attack when you snapped at her for not finishing one problem on the homework. And then putting that 'no talking' rule in effect in class? Seriously, you're going to make yourself hated."

"I'm doing it for you, you know," he replied, sounding a little offended.

"I don't want you to be hated in order to help me."

"I want to."

After a quick glance around to make sure no one was watching, I lifted my hand up to his face and brushed his cheek with the tips of my fingers. "I know, but I can handle it…"

A dubious expression not unlike the one Daniel had given me earlier spread across his face. "Can you? I've never seen one student here say a bad word to you and now suddenly the few idiots are badmouthing you every time you walk by and those bastards are asking you out just because you seem like a challenge."

"It's weird," I admitted in a mumble. It really was weird. I'd never had so much attention in my life. It was like a lifetime movie, or clichéd story. One of those things you thought never happened in real life. "And troublesome, but whatever. It will go away."

"Do you want to come over tonight?" he asked.

I hesitated. "I don't know…"

A weary expression washed over his face. "What is it, Daphne?"

"What if Jackson somehow gets a picture of us together? I know you said confidence goes a long way, but so do incriminating photos, Matt."

"He doesn't know where I live…"

We both came to a sudden realization. If Jackson was that close to Daphne, chances were he knew where Matt lived. Now that Jackson knew I wasn't actually dating Sage, he might assume I'm dating Matt. What if he acted like the creep he was and staked out at Matt's apartment, waiting for a chance to expose us?

"I could go to your house," Matt offered.

"No!" I said quickly. "Maybe we shouldn't be together for right now."

He stared at me.

A startled gasp left my words. "No! That's not what I meant. I meant like, alone. Not like that."

"Oh," he responded, letting out a deep breath.

I smiled softly at him. "Nothing Jackson can do could stop me from wanting to be with you, Matt."

"Hmm, I think that's the most romantic thing you've said to me in a while," he commented thoughtfully.

A warm blush spread across my face. "W-what? I say plenty of romantic things!"

He chuckled, reaching over to ruffle my hair. "I've missed your blush. Seeing your worn out expression every day had gotten me feeling tired too. Smile more."

"I want to kiss you," I whispered, taking his hand off of my head and squeezing it.

I could tell he was torn between wanting to kiss me too and the rational thing— which was to say no. At the moment I could care less about being rational. After all that had happened over the past three days, all I wanted to do was curl up by Matt's side and stay there. An impossibility since we hadn't even hugged during the whole time period in concern of being caught.

Suddenly he let go of my hand, turning on his heel. My heart sunk in my chest as I watched his retreating form.

That is, until he beckoned for me to follow him.

Excitement coursed through me as I slowly started to follow him, making sure there was enough space between us so it didn't look like I was trailing him. The school building was nearly empty now aside from the faculty, making me wonder how long Aaron had kept me. Matt abruptly stopped, taking a quick look around the hall and sending me an implying look before slipping into a door on the right side. After a few moments I casually strolled up to it, briefly peering around the hallway before turning to the door. _Janitor _was carved into the oak. In one swift motion I was inside, closing the door securely and encasing the room in darkness. Matt's arm brushed by my side and soon after I heard the click of a lock.

"A janitor's closet?" I whispered, turning around to try to see him, but failing to do so because of the lack of light.

"It's kind of risqué, isn't it?" he murmured, his breath blowing gently on my ear.

"Since it's during the school day," I returned, my heart starting to beat faster in my chest.

Matt chuckled. "That's not what I meant."

"What did you mean then?"

"Nothing," he said simply.

"But—"

The rest of my objection was severed when I felt his soft lips press against mine. My arms immediately shot around him, pulling him closer to me. I'd missed his kiss more than I'd anticipated. The slightly chapped skin, the way we fitted together… How had I managed to go three days without it? It was a mystery to me.

Matt pulled me away from the door, never letting his lips disconnect from mine. Slowly and cautiously he maneuvered us further into the closet. After a moment he pulled away, inhaling sharply. Just as I was about to ask what was wrong, I felt myself falling. A low groan came from Matt as I heard him hit the ground and he emitted another as I landed on top of him.

"Smooth move," I whispered, my heart beginning to sprint again. How much noise had that made? Did someone outside notice? What if they were entering now?

Matt seemed to be thinking the same thing because he stayed dead silent, aside from the sound of his breathing. When he was satisfied no one would come barging in, I felt his hands on the back of my head, bringing it back down to his. My lips, instead of connecting with his, met the side of his face, right under his ear.

His knee went straight into my gut.

I gasped, pulling away from him. "Ugh, Matt…"

"Sorry," he muttered, removing his knee. "You just surprised me."

"How?" I demanded in a snippy tone. It felt like he'd broken a rib!

He didn't reply. Instead, he tried bringing my face to his again. This time I placed my hands on his face to feel for the location of his lips and I managed to have ours meet. Now Matt moved, rolling to the side so that he could be the one hovering over me instead of vice versa. He deepened the kiss, leaving me struggling to breathe. When I couldn't take it anymore I yanked his hair roughly, making him pull away.

"Ow," he said in a what-the-heck voice.

I inhaled deeply a few times, trying to regain my breath as soon as possible. Too soon, Matt tried to kiss me again, so I turned my head so he was kissing my cheek instead. My face scrunched up in disgust at the wet feeling. Making out was actually a pretty gross thing if you thought about it… It was a good thing you didn't think about it when you actually did it. I kissed Matt's cheek softly, before moving toward his jaw, then up, back to the base of his ear.

Once again he kneed me.

"Shit," he swore quietly. "Sorry. Stop doing that."

I winced. "Sorry… I didn't realize you had a reflex arc at the bottom of your ear, Matt."

"I don't," he told me, sounding embarrassed for some reason.

"Hmm…" A small smile spread onto my face. If he didn't, that meant that was his weak spot. Without warning him, I pressed my lips back to the spot, harder than before. To my amusement, he let out a strained groan.

"Don't do that, Daphne."

Ignoring his order, I trailed kissed down to the bottom of his jaw then back up to his special spot, receiving another stifled sigh. "Why not?"

"You know why."

"No I don't."

"Yes you do."

"You don't like me having the advantage over you?" I guessed, using my fingertips to brush against his face in search for his lips. As soon as I found them, I gave him a quick kiss.

He tried to respond, but I pulled away. "No, I don't, so stop," he told me, pushing his lips back to mine.

I smiled through the kiss, giving him a gentle bite on the lip. He returned it with a lot more force. "Ow!" I cried, my voice muffled by our kiss.

He broke away for a split second. "Don't try that either."

"No fun," I mumbled, allowing him to dominate the kiss and send thrills down my spine. No matter how much we kissed, he still always managed to give me that thrill of excitement. It was even more powerful today because of the time we'd spent apart. That and the fact kissing seemed to be a stress reliever for me. I hadn't noticed before, but when I was kissing Matt, nothing else mattered. Which was exactly what I needed at the moment.

A few moments later, I heard a voice on the other side of the door. My eyes flew open in panic, but I still couldn't see anything. Matt heard it too, because he froze.

"I just don't understand why kids still come to school when their sick," someone, one of the janitor's, sighed from the other side of the door.

"Probably just to make our life hell," a second person responded.

The first one laughed. "I bet."

There was the jiggle of the lock. My heart lurched.

We were so screwed.

"Did you lock this, Bill?" the first man asked.

"No."

"I don't have a key."

A little sigh of relief left my lips.

"I have one," the second man stated. "I've got it."

So much for relief. I struggled to sit up, but Matt held me down firmly. What was he thinking? I had to hide, or something! We couldn't be caught together by the janitors! There was no way we could pretend we were cousins like I could with Sage!

The door began opening and I could my heart stop. I clung to Matt, pressing my head into his chest and closing my eyes. He placed his palm against my cheek in a calming manner.

This was it. We were screwed. Matt was going to be fired. I was going to be expelled halfway through my senior year. Wasn't the whole thing with Sage enough? Did I really have to be punished even more? I couldn't think of anything I'd done to deserve it! Tears were starting to well up in my eyes. Life was so unfair sometimes…

"What's going on here?" a gruff voice demanded, this one different than the first two.

I shook my head in disbelief. Three people had to catch us? Just as I pulled away to reply, someone else did for me.

"Joe, you scared me! Do you need something?" the first man said quickly.

"Yes. I need you two to clean up the puke in the music hallway."

There was a brief moment silence. "We're getting the buckets—"

"Everything is already there, Bob. Get a move on, you two."

"Yes," I heard the first and second man say together.

The sound of the door closing again met my ears and I let go of Matt, letting my head fall back to the hard ground. I hadn't realized I was holding my breath. It came out in a quiet _whoosh_. Matt collapsed heavily on me, nearly knocking the air out of me once again.

"That was close," he whispered in amusement.

"It's not funny," I snapped back quietly.

Without warning the door opened again, wide enough so that light spilled into the room, revealing both my legs and Matt's. My heart flew into manic mode. This calming-exciting thing surely wasn't good for it.

"Hey, Joe!" a familiar voice called in a frantic voice. "The water fountain on the third floor is spewing water everywhere!"

"Are you kidding me?" Joe responded in an aggravated voice. He swore quietly before shutting the door again.

Once again I slumped to the ground. Matt tapped his forehead against mine. Yes. This definitely wasn't good for my heart.

Now, the telltale squeak of the door opening shouldn't have come as a surprise the next time, but it still did. However, this time an aggravated and frustrated groan left my lips before I could stop it.

"Did I interrupt something I shouldn't have?"

My eyes flew open and I looked past Matt, up at Sage. He grinned evilly down at me. In my eyes, he was an angel. "Oh, Sage!"

"You shouldn't cry out my name when you're with another guy— ah!" he exclaimed as Matt swung out his leg and nearly knocked him over.

"You're funny," Matt growled, pushing himself to his feet. He held out his hand and I took it, being easily yanked to my feet.

"You could say thank you," Sage sniffed. "I stopped Joe from coming in here."

I gave him a thankful look. "Thank you, Sage. That scared the fudge out of me."

He smirked. "I figured. I was watching the whole time. The door just kept opening and closing and—"

"I know," I responded flatly.

He laughed. "You guys better get out of this closest while you can. What were you even doing in here in the first place?"

"What do you think?" Matt asked grumpily.

"Aww, are you mad I ruined your precious time with Daphne? Isn't it better that I did instead of you being caught?" Sage inquired, grabbing Matt's shoulders and marching him out of the janitor's closet. "You should be grateful I'm your best friend, and got here in time."

Matt grunted. I frowned at him. "I'm thankful, Sage," I told him, offering a small smile.

"I know you are, Daphne," he responded, winking at me.

"Don't wink. It's not attractive."

"It _can_ be," Sage pressed.

Matt sighed, shaking his head. "Whatever. I have papers to grade. I'll see you later, Daphne… Maybe."

"See you," I responded glumly.

He smiled gently, running two fingers against my lips briefly. "I love you."

"I love you too—"

"I love you both!" Sage cried loudly, flinging arms around both of us and pulling us into a group hug.

Matt struggled out of it after a second and started down the hallway. "Bye, Daphne."

"Bye, Mr. Firay."

Sage ruffled my hair as Matt turned the corner and out of sight. "How are you doing, kid?"

"Good. Thanks for that," I added, nudging him in the side with my elbow. "With you starting the hug, it wouldn't look suspicious."

"I'm here for you, bud, since it's my fault you've been having such a stressful week."

"It's both of our faults," I corrected, frowning at him. "We've been over this. It's fine, Sage."

He gave me a one-shouldered shrug. "If you say so. I've gotta head to the office, so talk to you later."

"Okay. Bye."

"Oh, and it's raining, so put your hood up!"

"It's raining?" I repeated in disbelief. "But the weather was so nice earlier!"

Sage laughed. "Things change, Daphne."

I grumbled at him before turning and heading back to the exit. Rain poured from the sky, proving Sage's words true. I nearly sprinted to my car, cursing the rain the whole time. It made my hair curly and static-y. Fortunately my car started in one try for once.

My windshield wipers sped across my windshield as I pulled out of the school parking lot. Since I was already running late, I decided on a pit stop to Subway to pick up dinner. My parents weren't going to be home until midnight, so I was on my own, which wasn't that unusual, but I didn't feel like cooking. There was virtually no traffic as I went through the downtown area. Usually it was filled with pedestrians, but even those were missing in action. Except one hooded person, slowly ambling through the torrential rain. I slowed down as I drove past the individual, afraid her or she might not notice me and try to cross the street.

My caution proved to be useful because just as I was passing the figure, it turned and stepped into the street. I slammed on my breaks, coming to a stop a few feet away from the hooded person. He, I guessed by his attire, looked up at me, a glare on his face. It took me less than five second to recognize him as Jackson. Before I knew what I was doing, I was blaring my horn at him. He jumped back in surprise before narrowing his eyes and marching toward my car. I rolled down my window and he leaned in, a malicious look on his face. "Daphne—"

"Get in," I ordered in the most commanding voice I could muster. My hands were sweating as I gripped the steering wheel.

He blinked at me. "What?"

"Get it," I repeated, holding my back straight. "Now. We need to talk."

He smirked. "What makes you think I'll listen to you?"

I shrugged, pulling the keys out of my ignition. Then I pressed the alarm button. Jackson jolted at the loud noise. "Stop trying to rob my car!" I shouted at him.

"You…" he started in a growl, looking around him. "Fine. I'm getting in."

He moved away from my window and around to the passenger's side. After I unlocked the door form him, he slipped in, pulling his hood off his head. Pecan colored hair spilled out from under it. Swallowing nervously, I turned on my car and rolled my window back up.

What was I thinking? Inviting Jackson into my car? What if he tried to make his crash? I had no idea what he was thinking about the whole Sage thing. But I did want answers…

"Where are we going?" he asked in a bored tone.

"To Subway, because I'm hungry, and then back to my house to talk."

He crossed his arms, letting out a frustrated huff of air. "Whatever."

My hands tightened on the steering wheel. I could do this. Jackson wouldn't scare me off. I needed to find out what was happening… I could do it.

* * *

**A/N. **Well then. Comment, favorite, and alert if you'd like.

See you guys, TOMORROW!

~Lara


	33. Chapter 33: Feelings

**A/N. **ACK! I'm sorry for the lateness, but I am **SO HAPPEE! **Yes, _happee_. I have a math project due Thursday, and I started it this weekend and finished it today! SUCCESS! And I used a program I had never used before with it today and figured it out after many failed attempts! :D

Oookay, so like 99.¼ of you guys got it, so this chapter is dedicated to ALL OF YOU! :D Oh, and to my friend, Kerry, who tried to help me use Piktochart.

I used "Tomber" because on Google Translate, 'tomber' means to "tumble or fall" in French basically. I _was _going to use the French word for "hill", but "Tomber" just sounds so much cooler to me.

Song:

**Me and My Cello – Happy Together (by Turtles) Cover by ThePianoGuys (YouTube)**

Okay, so this is actually an instrumental, but it's soooo good (I love the Piano Guys!) and the video is so cute.

Story:

**The Humping Games by Jack Gallow (Wattpad)**

_Katlick Grimmweet hopes her name will be drawn for the 69__th__ annual Humping Games. The world will be watching the sexiness unfold._

Okay, reason for picking this one since you're all probably disturbed right now: Despite the fact that you can _see with your own eyes _that this is a spoof –and an adult one at that- it is one of the _funniest _I have _ever _read. And despite its suggestiveness, the "it" scenes aren't described in detail. I think it was like: "The battle began. We cracked the headboard. The mattress slid off the bed. Two more lamps perished in the fight. We were Edward and Bella in that room. 'Let's do it again.' 'I think I'm out of order.' " And that's it. So, nothing disturbing, except the perverse comments. But I seriously think this is an ingenious spoof. I mean, Katlick, Prissy, Pita, Gavin, Cinnabun, Heyhey, 69th…oh geez, it was hilarious. AH, okay, I'm done.

THANK YOU FOR THE AWESOME AMOUNT OF REVIEWS! Three more until we reach 666!

Enjoy!

* * *

_Chapter 33: Feelings_

"How many pickles did you get on that thing?" Jackson asked, peering down at my sandwich in disgust.

I followed his gaze to my sandwich, lying on my wooden kitchen island. "Just the normal amount…"

"Disgusting."

"Do you want a half?"

Jackson was silent for a moment. Sighing, I pushed half of my foot long toward him. "You can give me the pickles if you don't want them."

He tried to push the sandwich back. "I don't want your pity."

"It's not pity. It's food."

"I don't want it."

"You keep staring at it!"

"Because it looks disgusting!"

"You look disgusting!"

He scoffed. "Clever response. Can I leave now?"

"No!"

A sigh left his lips and he flipped his shaggy pecan colored hair out of his face. "And why not? I don't want to be here just as much as you don't."

A frown flitted onto my mouth and I set down my sandwich. Sure, I didn't want him to be here, but where else could we talk? It was raining. My kitchen seemed like a safe enough place… Sheepishness seeped through me when my gaze landed on the knife block in the corner of the room on the black counters, by my fridge.

Okay, maybe it was a little dangerous. But Jackson wouldn't stab me…

"I'm leaving," he stated, pushing himself up from the table.

"No! Sit back down!"

He cocked an eyebrow at me. "Don't tell me what to do, stupid girl."

I gaped at him. Stupid? He headed for the exit of the kitchen, ignoring my orders. After a moment I scurried after him, stopping him in the hallway by grabbing his arm. He quickly wrenched it out of my grasp. "Don't touch me!"

"Jackson, I want to talk to you."

"I don't want to talk to you!"

"You owe me!"

His eyes narrowed. "I don't owe you shit."

My hand reached out to grasp his forearm again. "No. You owe me a lot, not get into my living room and sit. Now."

"Five minutes," he growled softly, pushing me out of the way and heading toward my living room. "No longer."

I sighed in relief inwardly, following him into the room. Maybe I sounded more threatening than I thought I did. If I kept it up, maybe I could browbeat him into telling me what Bryant put him up to. However I wasn't too confident in my threatening skills… People usually only threatened me.

Jackson sat down on the red love seat by the door and I took a seat on the far right side of the couch, sitting as close to him as possible. His stance was tense, his shoulders squared. I swallowed nervously. How was I supposed to start? I didn't want to jump right into it in case I upset him. Maybe I should have told someone I was bringing him here.

"Four minutes, Daphne."

"Why did you show the pictures to the school?" I blurted quickly without thinking.

"To get you in trouble."

"Why?"

"I hate you."

I made a face. How could he say that so easily? "Did Bryant really tell you Sage and I were dating?"

Jackson clenched his jaw. "Yes."

"You believed him?"

"Obviously," he snapped, a scowl appearing on his face. "You're thinking I'm stupid, huh? For believing him? He didn't give me any reason not to. And you and you're stupid friends went along with it, making a fool out of me! You're a real bitch, you know that?"

I blinked at him. He got angry easily. "Hey, it's not my—"

"Do you know how stupid I looked when Ms. Anderson called me down to accuse me of showing all those pictures? She suspended me for a week for bullying! I'm already behind in all my classes, Daphne!"

"That's hardly my fault," I protested.

He narrowed his eyes. "Hardly? This is all your fault."

"What? How?"

"Those are stupid questions. If you hadn't thrown Bryant into jail in the first place none of this would've happened?"

I gawked at him. He was going all the way back then? That was three months ago! "Jackson, I don't think you understand. Bryant is very dangerous, he needs to be in jail—"

Jackson shook his head. "He's not! You're crazy!"

"I'm crazy? He tried to kidnap me, Jackson!"

"You deserve it."

Now it was my turn to shake my head. "Is that so? Please tell me what I did to deserve it."

He crossed his arms. "Bryant didn't tell me what you did, but you definitely deserve it."

"Are you just making up excuses for him? He belongs in jail, Jackson."

"He doesn't—"

"That's not what we're here to talk about," I interjected, sitting a little straighter. "What did Bryant want out of this? Sage fired? Or what?"

Jackson snorted. "Do you really expect me to tell you?"

"I do," I said, trying to make my face as menacing as possible. "Thanks to you, a whole bunch of people at our school think I'm some sort of slag."

"Slag?"

"Slut," I corrected myself, even though I didn't really want to say it. "Sorry, Wendell is rubbing off on me a little bit."

Jackson didn't look surprised. "Isn't that what you are?"

"No! How many times do I have to tell you? Sage and I don't have a relationship! I thought you figured that out already since you just made an idiot of yourself!"

"You don't need a relationship to shag someone. Mr. Firay seems pretty keen on you. He seems like the type to be a pedophile. I also heard that you have one of the best grades in class—"

My hands balled up into fists. Making fun of me was one thing, making fun of Matt was another. "Is this all you can do, Jackson? Insult other people? Mr. Firay would never do that! I have a good grade because I actually try!"

"Wasn't it worse during the beginning of the year?"

"I… How did you know that?" I demanded, my eyebrows furrowing together. Jackson was right, my grade had been bad at some points during the year, but that was due to my lack of finishing homework. No thanks to Matt.

Jackson smirked. "Oh? So it is true?"

"No!"

He pushed himself off his chair, coming to hover over me. "How is it that whenever I ask you to help make Mr. Firay raise my grade you always refuse? Do you want something in return?"

I scowled at him. "He wouldn't do that anyway."

"I'll pay the price you pay him," he offered, lowering himself a little so we were eye level. "You're not that bad looking…"

Before I could stop myself, I'd slammed my foot into Jackson's gut. "I don't do that, Jackson! I'm still a virgin!"

He groaned, now kneeling on the ground. "Daphne, you…"

"Why do you keep repeating the same things, Jackson? You're getting old! Don't you know anything else to say to me? You can't threaten me anymore, not that that ever got you far. And I won't apologize for that kick because you deserve it!"

"I deserve it?" he repeated, his eyes meeting mine again. "You think I deserve this? Do you also think I deserve having Bryant laugh at me because I actually believed his lie? Do you know how embarrassing it was? Do you, Daphne?"

I shrunk back into the couch as Jackson slowly rose to his feet. "I…"

"It really sucked," he said softly, his tone of voice throwing me off guard. "It sucked a lot." Suddenly he slammed his fist into the couch back beside my head, making me flinch. "I hated it. I hate you, Daphne."

"Why?" I asked, my voice barely coming out.

His eyes were livid. "I don't understand. Why is everything so perfect for you, when you ruined my life?"

With each of his words, I was becoming more and more confused. "Ruined your life? How?"

"I had plans for the future," Jackson informed me, the hand that had formed the fist beside my head now dropping to my shoulder. "Great plans. Plans that would get me away from this horrible place. But in order for those plans to fall through, I needed Bryant."

"Bryant?"

"Yeah. I'm not old enough or capable enough to hold a house on my own. Once I'm eighteen, I'm screwed because then Anna and I have to pay for everything ourselves since we'll be adults. Bryant offered me a place at his house. We were going to move down south, away from the idiots around here."

That didn't sound like Bryant. He didn't seem like the social type at all, but this sounded like he thought of Jackson as a little brother, or something. "I still don't see how everything is my fault—"

Jackson's hand bunched the front of my shirt. "You must be blind and stupid. Bryant is in jail. Does it sound like he can move south with me?"

"But Jackson—"

"It makes it worse that you're all he can think about," Jackson continued, his voice back to a growl. "Every day. Daphne this, Daphne that. How is Daphne? Is Daphne's life hell yet? He never shuts up about you."

My gut sank. Bryant still thought about me? And to make things worse, he was using Jackson to keep an eye on me? But why was Jackson so offended by this? Sure, I could see how he was angry about the moving thing, but this was taking it to a whole new level.

"That's why I need you to do me a favor."

"Huh?"

Jackson slowly pulled me to my feet, forcing me up by the bit of shirt he was holding onto. "You heard me. It's really simple, actually."

I gave him a nervous look. This wasn't how this chat was supposed to be going. I was supposed to be the threatening one! "W-what do you want?"

"You to tell the police you made everything up about Bryant."

"Not happening," I responded at once.

Jackson didn't seem happy about my choice. He pushed me back down on the couch roughly and then kneeled on me in such a way that he knees dug into my thighs. I refused to show him it hurt. "You might want to rethink that, Daphne."

I shook my head. "You don't have anything on me anymore, Jackson. I don't need to listen to a word you say."

"Maybe I can convince you otherwise," he said suggestively, moving one of his hands to my cheek.

"No! Get off me!" I ordered, shoving on his chest. "I don't understand! Why are you so upset about this? Why can't you let it go? Bryant's in jail! He's staying there! He deserves to be in there! What don't you get about that?"

"Do you have someone you love?" Jackson asked suddenly, his tone serious and curious.

Baffled by his abrupt change in demeanor, it took me a moment to answer. "Um, yeah," I admitted, immediately thinking of Matt. His structured face, long eyelashes, shaggy blonde hair, and piercing blue eyes…

"If he was in jail, you'd want to take revenge too, wouldn't you?"

Revenge. The word made me bristle. "Revenge never leads to good things, Jackson. It will come back around and—"

He covered my mouth with the hand that had been on my cheek seconds earlier. "I didn't ask for your opinion. You're a ditzy girl, Daphne. I don't except you to understand me. Just know I'm not giving up. You're the object of my revenge and until I get what I want, I'm not letting you go scot-free."

"Mmph," I started, my voice muffled by his hand.

"Bryant will tell me what to do next," Jackson stated, his eyes hardening. "There's a reason he had to fool me. He didn't do it on purpose. He must have some ulterior plan."

My eyes widened slightly. There's the answer to my question. Slightly. Why didn't Jackson know of Bryant's ultimate plan? That didn't make sense. But it also didn't make sense that he would fool Jackson either.

"I don't get it," Jackson said through gritted teeth. "Do you, Daphne? Why would Bryant trick me? Did you tell him to?"

"No!" I cried, yanking his hand away from my face "How could I? Why would I?" Jackson was crazy!

He brought up his hand like he was going to smack me, but before he let it connect with my face he dropped it. "No…"

My heart was beating a mile a minute. Finally I was recognizing the look on Jackson's face. It wasn't anger. He was hurt. Was he hurt because of what Bryant did? Why would he be so upset? Unless… I almost gasped. If Matt had tricked me like that, I would've been hurt too, but I loved him in a different way than family love. What if Jackson loved Bryant that same way? That would explain things. People did crazy things when they were in love. If Jackson already had anger management problems, this wouldn't be an abnormal thing.

"Jackson," I started, unsure of how I should phrase the question.

"What?" he demanded.

I bit my lip. "Do you… Uh… Do you, love Bryant?"

His multi-colored eyes widened for a split second before narrowing. "What do you mean?"

"I mean do you have feelings for him? It's normal to be hurt, but you should be angry with him, not me! I didn't do anything to him and trust me when I say I'm not interested. He's all yours!" I blabbered.

"What are you going on about?" he asked, sounding angry and defensive. "I'm not gay, if that's what you're thinking."

"It's okay!" I told him. "No one will judge you."

Jackson shook his head, closing his eyes. "Shut up, Daphne."

"No! Stop harassing me! Find someone new to be attracted to! Bryant is no good! You can see what kind of man he is by what he's done for you? You feel like an idiot, a total fool! He's the one that did this to you—"

Without warning, Jackson grabbed my head, holding it in place. I only had a three second warning before his lips came crashing down on mine. At first I was too dazed to move, but when I realized what he was doing, I struggled to get away from him. My protests came out as muffled cries. I tried beating my fists on his shoulders, but they didn't disrupt him.

This kiss wasn't like any of the kisses I shared with Matt. This type of kiss made me sick. It was rough and it hurt my lips. No matter how hard I tried to pull away, I couldn't release myself from Jackson's vice-like grip. I couldn't breathe. Guilt was washing over me. How could I kiss someone other than Matt? This was just like the time at the party! Except no one was here to stop him.

When he finally pulled away I gasped for breath. He gave me a hard look. "Does that prove I'm not gay?"

"That doesn't prove anything!" I panted.

"I'll do it again," Jackson said simply, bringing his lips back to mine. Again he held my head in place so I couldn't move away.

Irritated, I opened my mouth slightly to bite his lip in order to get him to let go, but he took it as a sign of me deepening the kiss. Revulsion rose in me as he morphed the kiss into a French one.

I quickly chomped down.

"Ow!" he hissed, pulling away from me.

I glared at him. "Don't. Kiss. Me. Again."

"You liked it," he commented with a satisfied smirk. "I hope you rethink telling the police about Bryant. I'm sure you don't want to see what else he has in store for you. If you just clear his name, he and I would be out of your hair."

"If I cleared his name, he'd come back to finish his job," I told him in a hard voice.

Jackson cocked an eyebrow. "You mean killing Matt?"

My heart skipped a beat. How come Bryant told Jackson about that but didn't tell him Matt and I were the real couple? Nothing he did made any sense!

"Personally, I have not interest in him, aside from keeping an eye on his little crush for you, but Bryant has to do what Bryant has to do," Jackson explained, pushing himself off me. "Thanks for the chat, Daphne. And the kiss. But I'm leaving now."

"Why can't you leave me alone?" I whispered, much like the way I spoke the same words to Bryant months earlier. "Wasn't the whole thing with Bryant enough? Now you have to come along? Didn't you get your kicks with the whole Sage thing?"

"I told you—"

"I know what it's like to be hurt by the one you love, Jackson!" I cried, cutting him off. "Yeah, it sucks. A lot. But you shouldn't take out your anger on someone innocent! Go yell at Bryant!"

Jackson crossed his arms. "I'm not yelling at him."

"You won't ever ruin my life, Jackson. You can do anything you want, but I'm not going to let you get to me. You don't know what I've been through. Compared to that, you're solely scum on the bottom of my shoe."

A smile cracked onto his face. "It's too bad you're Bryant's enemy, Daphne. You'd make a good friend."

"Then forget Bryant!" I proposed, leaning toward him. "I'll forget everything you've done, Jackson. You only did it for the person you love. I understand that— I'd do the same if it didn't involve ruining another person's life."

"No," Jackson responded stubbornly. "You don't understand, Daphne. You don't even have a boyfriend."

I ground my teeth together. This kid was so frustrating! "Forget it, Jackson. I'm only trying to help. You'll only get hurt in the end. Nothing good comes out of favoring Bryant."

He waved me off. "I'll be the one to decide that. I'm leaving."

"Fine. Bye."

He didn't respond. A few seconds later I heard my front door opening and then slamming shut. Relief flooded my body and I fell back into the couch, heaving a heavy sigh.

As much as I hated it, I knew where Jackson was coming from. No, it wasn't right to act the way he was acting, but if he loved Bryant that much… He had to be insane in some way. Those anger problems were a serious dilemma. What was going to make him stop going after me?

I blinked.

Why was I talking to the vessel? I should've been talking to the source of the problem. What would happen if I talked to Bryant directly? He couldn't harm me like Jackson could; he was behind bars. I'd talk to him through that little telephone. Maybe I could get this little fiasco to come to a ceasefire…

Shaking my head, I pushed myself to my feet. That was something I had to talk over with Matt first. For now, I needed to brush my teeth and rid myself of all the Jackson germs… New guilt settled inside me. I needed to tell Matt he kissed me again, too. But I wasn't going to see him for two days. Hanging my head, I headed for the stairs. I was a pretty bad girlfriend.

'o') AHHH! GET AWAY FROM ME, JACKSON! *v*) I CAN SHOW YOU I'M NOT GAY BY KISSING YOU! *w*) DAAAAPPHNNNNEEEE, I'M A MUTE! HELP ME! -.-) Sage, you stupid drunk.

A knock on my door sent me jolting up from my half-asleep, half-awake state on my couch. The T.V was blaring some CSI show, which I muted as I pushed myself onto my feet. Checking my phone, I realized it was already eight o'clock. Who was coming over this late? I peered through the little peephole at the top of the door. To my surprise, I saw Sage standing there.

"Good evening, my fair lady!" Sage greeted me as I opened the door.

"Sage? What are you doing here?"

"Coming to visit you!" he chirped excitedly, shoving by me and entering the threshold. "I heard you were planning to be alone tonight, so I came to rescue you!"

I gave him a crazy look. What was he blabbering about? "What?"

"It's a Friday night! You, as a teenage girl, should be having fun! You can't do that if you're by yourself. That's so lonely… It must be so sad. Like that one girl in the movies who never has any friends so she spends the nights reading the same books over and over again!"

"I-It's okay," I told him honestly. It wasn't like I did much on Friday nights anyway. They belonged to Matt.

"No it's not! Come on, Daphne, live life a little!"

Now I was getting worried. Had someone hit him in the head? He was being awfully over friendly. More than usual. "Sage, are you okay?"

He ignored me. "I know! I've always wanted to go to a strip club! Daphne, you should come and then strip for me— agh!"

Sage suddenly jolted forward, into me. I jumped and threw my arms out to steady him, looking behind him to see Matt standing there in a rumpled white dress shirt and a pair of blue jeans. My heart did a little flip-flop. Hadn't we agreed that we wouldn't see each other? What was he doing here?

"Sage, cut the crap," Matt demanded, his blue eyes flashing in annoyance.

"Is he okay?" I inquired, staring down at Sage, slightly bewildered. "He seems sort of…"

"He's drunk," Matt admitted flatly. "He just randomly showed up at my house singing that stupid song from Pirates of the Caribbean."

"Yo, ho, ho and a bottle of rum!" Sage sang in a slur. I almost laughed.

"I don't know where he got the alcohol from though," Matt continued, running a hand through his hair.

"I got it from my Mama!" Sage sang off key.

I nodded understandingly, trying to suppress a smile. Last time Sage had gotten drunk, I was too drunk myself to see how he acted. While I did wonder _why_ he'd gotten drunk in the first place, I was also curious as to how he was like drunk.

"And Daphne, you should really say no when Sage says that kind of stuff, even when he's drunk. He'll probably choose that one thing to remember tomorrow and try to drag you off to a strip club."

"He's so hard to say no to," I mumbled, glancing at the drunken Sage.

Matt rolled his eyes. "You seem to be able to say no to him normally. What makes him so different now?"

"He's cute when he's drunk," I confessed, feeling a smile cross my face.

"That thing is cute?" Matt repeated, hooking a thumb at Sage.

"Hey," Sage said, staring at him. "If you're jealous, just say so! I'll take you to a strip club too, Matt! Come on, give Sage some loving!" he cried, throwing his arms around Matt.

Matt immediately shoved him away. "Don't touch me, you brat."

Sage winced. "You're too serious, Matt."

"How long have you been dealing with him for?" I inquired, smiling in amusement now. It must have been at least an hour if Matt was already this annoyed.

"Like two hours," he told me, crossing his arms. "He seriously doesn't shut up."

"So you brought him here?"

A mysterious smile flitted across his lips. "I thought you might want to help me babysit him."

"I think you mean you want me to suffer with you," I corrected, letting out a small laugh. I didn't care. Matt was here. That's all that mattered.

He chuckled too, stepping forward to give me a quick kiss. "I decided I didn't want to be away from you today. Friday is our night."

I wrapped my arms around him before he could move away. "I'm glad you came. We won't have to worry about Jackson staking out at my house either."

"Why?"

"He was here earlier."

"What?"

"Let's talk about it later," I responded, waving him off. "For now, let's try to sober Sage a little bit."

Just as I spoke his name, Sage popped out of nowhere by my side. "So Daphne, how about those pancakes?"

I blinked at him. "What?"

"It's best to ignore him," Matt informed me, putting a hand on my shoulder. "Come on, let's get him some cold water to drink."

"Sure," I responded slowly, watching Sage. "Come on, Sage. Let's go into the kitchen."

He followed behind us like a puppy, nearly stumbling over his feet twice. I couldn't help but giggle at him. "How the heck would he get alcohol? He's not twenty-one," I commented thoughtfully.

Matt shrugged, getting a clean glass out of the dishwasher. "Who knows? He might have stolen it from someone."

"I wonder what possessed him to drink it…"

"Knowing Sage, it could have been an accident. One time he tried to drink a cup of counter cleaner."

I wrinkled my nose. "Ew."

"Yeah. Here Sage," Matt said, handing the cup of cold water to the blonde. "Drink it. You remember how to drink, right?"

Sage stared at the glass for a minute before turning to me. "Daphne, would you give me the water from your mouth—"

"Quit joking and drink it," Matt demanded.

Sage grinned before downing the water. "Ahh," he said, "refreshing!"

"Hey, Sage, how does watching T.V sound?" I suggested, afraid he might try to start juggling knives.

"Depends what's on," he responded, heading for my living room. "Come on, Daphne, Mustard."

Matt grumbled under his breath. Laughing, I took his hand and led him back into the living room. My eyes landed on the couch, where Jackson had kissed me. I hadn't realized I stopped moving until there was a slight tug on my hand. I looked up to see Matt staring at me, concern etched in his eyes. "What's wrong?"

"I, um, we need to talk," I told him quietly, adverting my gaze.

"How do I get the words to come out?" Sage complained loudly. "I can see the images— shit! Does that mean I'm deaf? Does it? Matt? Does it?"

"No," Matt replied flatly. "It means it's on mute."

"Now I'm a mute? No!"

I burst out laughing, moving over to the remote and unmuting the television. "Okay, Sage. Just stay here for a little bit. I need to talk to Matt."

He wagged his eyebrows. "Talk with Matt? Or make out?"

"Just watch the T.V," I ordered, feeling my cheeks warm at his knowing look. "Back into the kitchen," I whispered as I passed Matt.

He followed me back into the room in silence, his arms crossed over his chest again. I turned to face him, taking a breath and letting it out slowly. "I ran into Jackson today," I started, trying to ease into it.

His face hardened. "And?"

"I brought him back here."

"Daphne—"

"Let me finish, then you can scold me! I brought him back here because I wanted to know what Bryant was planning but I found out he doesn't know anything. I think he's in love with Bryant too, you know. The way I love you. Yeah. That's why he's so hell-bent on making my life crap. I tried to talk him out of it, but it didn't work… Oh, and he kissed me," I added in a tiny voice.

Matt sighed heavily. "Again?"

"I couldn't push him away," I admitted quietly. "I tried! But he wouldn't budge and when I tried to bite him, he—"

"Shh," Matt interjected, covering my mouth with his hand. "I don't want to hear about the kiss."

I looked up at him, giving him my best apologetic look. Was he angry with me? I'd kissed another guy…

"Don't look so upset," he said, removing his hand and tilting my chin up. "I know he forced you. You didn't kiss him back, right?"

"No!"

"Then that's all that matters," he replied simply.

I frowned at him. "Why aren't you more angry?"

"Do you want me to be?"

"Well seeing as I was kissed against my will…"

He laughed. "Daphne, I am angry about that. Just not with you. I know it's not your fault. However, I'm a little disappointed that you weren't smart enough to think inviting him to your house was a bad idea."

A blush crossed my cheeks. "I-I was caught up in the moment."

Matt chuckled again. "It's okay, Daphne. I'm not too surprised."

"Hey!"

He pulled me into his arms. "Be careful though, okay? People with anger management problems like Jackson are dangerous. Especially because he's doing what he's doing because of Bryant. If you're crazy statement is right, love can make people do terrible things."

"I'm pretty positive," I mumbled into his chest. "I don't get it."

"Don't get what?"

"Why won't Bryant leave us alone? Hasn't he done enough? I've gone through enough emotional stress for three life times. If only he knew what I felt when I saw you that one time you were hit by a shovel—"

"You mean when I slipped in my shed and fell on a shovel?"

I knew he was just trying to lighten the mood, but I didn't laugh. "Matt. I'm serious."

He sighed, holding me tighter. "I can't give you an answer, Daphne. Maybe you're repenting my sins."

"I thought you weren't religious?"

"I'm not. I just thought that was a pretty good excuse."

"It's not fair," I complained. "Why can't our relationship be easy?"

He rubbed my back soothingly. "Well, where's the fun in that? You only have a few months left of school, Daphne. Then you don't have to worry about Jackson anymore, or Bryant, and our relationship won't have to be a secret."

"That's too long."

"It's only about two months."

Two months? I pulled away from him slightly, my eyes wide. "Only two months?"

He grinned. "Did you forget seniors get to get out a month early?"

"Yes!"

"Well… surprise."

Just two months until I was finished with high school? Two months more until I didn't have to deal with any of this drama anymore? Two months more and Matt and I could finally be a regular couple…

My world suddenly seemed a lot brighter.

"I love you, Matt," I said happily.

"I love you too," he replied, kissing me on the nose. "Now we should really keep an eye on Sage."

I nodded, letting him lead me back into the living room. "If you had let me know you were coming over I would have presented myself better."

He squeezed my hand. "I think you're beautiful, Daphne."

"You have to say that. You're my boyfriend."

"I don't have to say that. I truly think that." He paused, turning to look at me. "You're absolutely stunning," he commented, his blue eyes piercing into mine.

Not under my control, a blush blossomed on my cheeks, causing him to smirk. "Y-you're pretty too, Matt."

He wrinkled his nose. "I'm not pretty."

"Don't be too hard on yourself."

He rolled his eyes. "Can't you ever just give me a regular compliment?"

"Like?"

"Like, oh Matt! You're the most charming, handsome, hottest…"

"Most dashing?" I guessed, remember his earlier words.

He grinned. "You're getting the hang of it, babe."

My heart fluttered at his word choice. Babe? That was the first time he'd called me that. When Sage said it, it didn't cause my heart to spaz out. Matt made it sound so… attractive. A silly smile spread across my lips and I ducked my head so he wouldn't see it.

Out of the blue, there was a booming crash from the living room. Matt and I exchanged startled glances before hurrying toward the source of the noise. When my eyes met Sage on the floor with my television on top of him, I was at a loss for words. His hands were flapping wildly and he was groaning, straining to get the T.V off of him. Matt shook his head in disbelief. "How?" he mouthed to me.

I shrugged. Sage had a way of doing things like this. "You better not have broken my T.V Sage," I warned him, squatting down by his head.

"Daphne!" he gasped dramatically. "My life… is being… sucked out… of me! Save me! Only you have the power!"

"What power?"

"The power… of love!"

I snickered, patting Sage on the head. "Matt'll help you out of this one. He's much stronger than me."

Sage made a face. "It's too late. I'm a goner…"

"Man up, Sage," Matt said, gripping the television in his hands. He lifted it with ease, placing it back on the wooden T.V stand where it belonged. I quickly walked over to it, turning it on to make sure it still worked. When it didn't turn on, I started panicking. My parents were going to kill me! Matt chuckled and I turned toward him, frowning. He was holding up the plug.

A sheepish smile crossed my face and I scratched the back of my head. "Ah ha. Oops."

"Oops," he mocked in a teasing tone, plugging it into the outlet for me. "Now try it."

I clicked the power button and it turned on. Sage clapped happily from the floor, where he was still lying. It took all the willpower I had not to step on him. "How long are you planning on staying?" I questioned, turning to look at Matt.

He cocked an eyebrow. "You want to get rid of me already?"

"No!" I said quickly.

"You're so honest," he chuckled, ruffling my hair. "We'll probably stay for a little while longer. What time do your parents get home?"

"Midnight," I told him, taking his hand off my head and holding it in both of mine. "You don't have to stay that late if you don't want to though."

He smiled. "Of course I want to."

I smiled back at him.

Sage appeared out of nowhere, slinging an arm around both of us. "You know what, guys?"

"What?" Matt and I responded simultaneously.

"How does a threesome sound—"

Matt immediately punched Sage in the chest while I gaped at him. "Go away, Sage."

He groaned, lowering himself onto the couch carefully. "I'm going to take that as a no…"

"He's so annoying when he's drunk," Matt muttered, crossing his arms.

Unable to stop myself, I burst out laughing. "Really? I think he's funny. I always knew he wanted you—"

"Stop talking now, otherwise I'll leave you with him."

I abruptly closed my mouth. If Matt left me here with Sage… I didn't even want to think about it.

"Is this what raising a kid is like?" Matt wondered out loud as he led me to the couch. "If so, you're doing all the raising, Daphne."

"So you're going to knock me up and leave me?"

He gently knocked his fist on my forehead. "No, stupid. You know what I meant. I'm not doing any chasing."

I shook my head at him. "It'll be different when it's actually our child."

The words felt weird coming from my mouth. Almost like soap. _Our child_… It seemed so unreal. Sure, a baby was way out along the way, but it was nice to know that at some point Matt wanted one.

I snuggled into Matt's side, wrapping my arms around him. "Sage will be the uncle."

"I'm not sure that's a good idea."

"I-I'd be great uncle," Sage slurred, throwing himself over my legs. "I'd take them fishing, and hiking, and to the candy store, and on a skydiving trip! Oh! And on the Titanic!"

Matt pursed his lips. "The Titanic sunk. You want to kill our children?"

The look on Sage's face made me think Matt had slaughtered his entire family. "No!"

"Then—"

"Daphne, let's play twenty questions," Sage suggested, giving me his best puppy dog look.

Which I couldn't resist. "Aw, of course, Sage!" I cooed causing Matt to nudge me in the ribs with his elbow.

"Okay. Question one."

"Shoot."

"What size is your bra?"

I smiled wryly that him. "That's a type of sexual harassment, Sage."

Matt sighed deeply. "Should have just said no, Daphne."

"Fine. Question Two."

This time I was a little more wary.

"How big is Matt's—"

"Enough!" Matt interjected, slapping his hand to Sage's mouth. To my surprise, he looked embarrassed. "Shut up, Sage."

Sage gave him an innocent look, pulling away his hand. "What? I was going to ask how big your shirts are. Large? Medium? Small?"

"You're an idiot."

I sunk back into the couch with a sigh. It was going to be a long night.

* * *

**A/N. **Welp, I'm all tuckered out. I have another physical fitness test tomorrow, I think. Probably that arm-pull up thing. :/ I'm going to diiiie. But I'm glad I was able to do sit-ups even with my gargantuan stomach. Oh, and the dreadful mile run…

I'll be writing my will in the meantime, so…

See you, _tomorrow. _;) (Oh, I love saying that when I know it's going to be true!)

~Lara


	34. Chapter 34: Plans

**EDIT: Comment on any errors! I **_**really **_**rushed to get **_**this **_**one out; by the way, chapter 31 is all fixed. Took out all the "Heywoods" and "Evers" I could find. **

**A/N. **Hi, you guys!

Had a wonderful day, thanks for asking! I finished my homework early, read at today's Ash Wednesday mass, and saw that my lowest grade is only a 95 this quarter, so, yay!

**666****th**** Reviewer: yorkie999777000! **Congrats! :D Your comment made me laugh by the way, since you were pretty accurate on your thoughts. :3

Song:

Haven't Met You Yet by Michael Buble

_I'm not surprise, not everything last. I've broken my hearts so many times, I've stopped keeping track…I came up with a million excuses. I thought I'd thought of every possibility. And I know someday that it'll all work out. You make me work so we can work to work it out. And I promise you, kid, you'll get so much more than I get, I just haven't met you yet._

Tinked by janinemimi

_As if getting rejected and being hated by the girl of his dreams wasn't bad enough, Peter Jensen is about to have his life go from bad to worse. First a girl won't stop following him around and insisting she needs to save his life, then a man tries to kill him in public, and he keeps hearing voices no one else seems to notice. And when a little fairy comes into his life telling him he's the famous hero from a children's story, he's sure he's gone nuts. But with everything that's happening, this little fairy may be the only chance he has at getting back to a normal life and surviving these strange attacks. If only she'd stop insisting his real name was Peter Pan._

I enjoyed all your comments for last chapter. :D I love drunken Sage, too, teehee. And I like how half of you guys love Jackson and the other absolutely loathe him. ;D

Enjoy!

* * *

_Chapter 34: Plans_

I was awoken to the sound of murmured voices. Instead of letting whoever was talking know I was awake, I stayed motionless, deciding to feign sleep for a little longer. There was pressure on my legs, making me think something heavy was set on top of them. Something heavy and warm.

"When that time comes, are you okay with it?"

I knew that voice belonged to Matt. What was he talking about? Who was he talking to? What was he doing here? My mind went back to last night. Had we all ended up falling asleep on the couch? I couldn't remember him and Sage going home.

There was a light sight. "Well…"

That was my mom's voice. Now I was even more confused.

"I'll probably hate you," my mom declared.

Matt chuckled. "I don't blame you."

"Daphne will cry."

There was a moment of silence. "I know."

"I'll probably cry too."

"I wouldn't be surprised."

My heart was starting to pound. What were they talking about? What was going to make me cry? What was going to make my mom hate him? It was quickly becoming hard to pretend to be asleep. I wanted to know what they were talking about. Whatever it was, it didn't sound good. My heart felt like lead. It almost sounded like he was going to break up with me. But where did it come from? We were fine last night! Was it something I did? Was it because I'd talked to Jackson without telling him? That was hardly reason to break up with me!

"I don't really have a choice in the matter, do I?" my mom questioned, her voice regretful.

There was another awkward moment of silence. "No," Matt admitted after a moment. "My decision is already made. No matter what you say, I won't back out on it. It's for the best for both of us."

"Does that mean I won't being seeing you around here much more after it?"

"Well…"

My mom sighed again. "This is really abrupt."

"No, I've been thinking about it for a while. Certain things have happened lately and it's changed things."

My eyes were starting to water under their closed lids. It had to be something bad. That definitely sounded like a break up. Why had I talked to Jackson without telling Matt? Why didn't Matt tell me he was upset about it? We could have talked it out! And what did he mean by certain things? Was it the Sage thing? There was no way that could happen to us!

"I should probably go," Matt stated uncomfortably.

"No!" I cried, involuntarily sitting up. The person lying on my feet tumbled to the floor with a loud _thump_. A quick glance revealed to me it was Sage. He stayed passed out.

Matt and my mom stared at me in surprise. It took me a moment to struggle out from under the heavy blankets that someone had put on me last night. My feet hit the cool floor after a few agonizing seconds and I stumbled toward Matt, throwing my arms out to him. He easily caught me in his own arms, allowing me to pull myself to his chest. I gripped the back of his shirt, trying to press my body as close to his as possible. A few tears spilled over and the salty liquid ran down my cheek, soaking into his rumpled shirt as I pressed my face against it.

"What's wrong?" he asked in a murmur, rubbing my back. "Did you have a nightmare?"

"Daphne?" my mom added in a worried tone.

Sniffing, I managed to force my head away from Matt far enough as to let me look into his blue eyes. "What were you talking to my mom about? What's going to make her hate you? Why won't you come around here anymore? What's going to make me cry, Matt?"

He blinked at me, his face remaining expressionless. "Daphne," he started, heaving a sigh.

"I'm sorry!" I apologized desperately. "I know I shouldn't have talked to Jackson! We talked about this yesterday! And what happened with Sage— you said yourself it wouldn't happen to us, Matt! Why do you want to break up with me? Why are you—"

"Daphne," he interjected, slapping a hand to my mouth. "Be quiet for a moment, please."

I nodded, taking his hand off my mouth and holding it tightly.

"First of all, stop being so negative." He flicked my nose with his free hand. "I'm not going to break up with you. I think you need more sleep."

My mom chuckled and I felt a blush blossom on my cheeks. "Y-you're not?"

"No. I love you. You know that."

"But then… What?"

Matt gave my mom an uneasy look. "Veronica…"

"Fine," my mom huffed, crossing her arms. "Go ahead. Be that man, Matt."

He rolled his eyes. "You know, sometimes you act so much like Daphne you surprise me."

My mom gave him a _duh_ look. "That's because she's my daughter, you silly little boy."

"Excuse me," I interjected, giving them both impatient looks. "Do I get to find out what you two were talking about?"

"It's not about right now," Matt started slowly, his eyes returning to mine. One of his hands came up to my cheek. "But I was just asking her if it was okay to have you move in after you graduate."

It felt like my heart skipped five beats, like I'd died for a second. It restarted with vigor, beating so hard I thought it was going to burst out of my chest. Sure, Matt and I had talked about this before, but that was just talking. If he was telling it to my mom it meant that it was the real deal. My eyes were round as I twisted around to stare at my mom. "Mom…?"

She pouted at me. "It's not like I can say no. You're eighteen now, Daphne. You get to make your own choices."

"But…"

"If you want to live with him, I want you to live with him," she urged. "I won't hold you back. Live your life, Daphne. Just don't forget to come visit."

Matt cleared his throat. "We still have a few months left though, you two. Don't get too far ahead of yourselves. And don't forget, Daphne, you have college. You might have to dorm."

I shook my head vigorously. "I'm staying around here!"

My mom beamed at me. "That's my girl!"

"Hey," Matt interjected, giving my mom a disapproving look. "You shouldn't encourage her like that."

"I want her around here."

"But it's her schooling."

My mom smirked evilly. "She's my little girl."

He grimaced. "I'm glad Daphne didn't get _that _look from you…"

"Matt?" I started, frowning at him. "You said it would make me cry…"

"Won't it?" he replied, rolling his eyes. "I know you, Daphne. You would probably cry if you were going on vacation for a month away from your mom."

I ducked my head. "W-would not."

My mom laughed loudly. "Actually, one time—"

"Mom!" I hissed.

Matt grabbed the back of my head and pressed it to his chest so I couldn't talk. "No, go on. I'd like to hear this."

I pounded on his spine, trying to free myself as my mom explained how a year ago on the first overnight trip she'd gone on. She'd had to leave me home alone because both Wendell and Ariana were busy. She explained how I'd called her at one o'clock in the morning crying my eyes out because I had scared myself watching a scary movie. My cheeks burned in embarrassment as Matt started laughing.

"She still doesn't like horror movies," he told her.

"I bet!"

My fists continued to batter his muscled back and he finally allowed me to pull myself away. "_Mom!_"

She batted her eyelashes at me innocently. "What?"

"Stop that!"

"Embarrassing you?"

"Yes!"

With a smirk, she shook her head in a negative response. "Nope. I have to do what all moms do and bring out the baby pictures."

I stared at her in horror. "Oh no…"

"Oh yes," she responded, sticking one of her hands into her back pocket. "In fact, I have one here…"

Without any warning, I bounded toward her, snatching the photograph out of her hands. My eyes scanned it immediately, looking for any humiliating postures or hairdos. Horror spread through me when I recognized the picture from the time I'd decided to wash myself with spaghetti sauce –and by wash, I mean dump over me and then try to rub it all over me.

Matt appeared behind me, his arms snaking around my waist to hold in place. "Let's see what kind of blackmail I can get on Daphne now…"

"No! I have my shirt off!"

"I've seen you with your shirt off before."

"Grandbabies, grandbabies," my mom hummed excitedly. "Gonna have some grandbabies!"

I stared at her in shock. "Mom! Really?"

Matt quickly took the moment to his advantage and seized the picture from my hand. "Aha!"

"Matt!"

He stared at the photo, an impish grin spreading across his face. "Is this why you don't like spaghetti?"

I flushed, trying to take it away from him. "Give it to me!"

"Nope," he responded, gently pushing me away from him. "I'm keeping this. If that's okay, Veronica."

"Of course it is!"

I stumbled back, scowling at the pair of them. Unfortunately for me, I forgot about the passed out brunette on the floor, and stepped on his back, sliding on his skin. It took about three seconds for me to hit the floor, my head banging painfully on his.

Sage sat up immediately with a shout of pain. Then a low groan left his lips and he flopped back down. "Am I dead?"

"Hi, Sage!"

His eyes snapped up to my mom. Confusion swirled around in them. "Veronica…? Why are you at my house?" He then turned his head, noticing me on the ground next to him. "Oh, did Daphne and I have sex?"

"No!" I cried.

Matt shot him a dirty look. "Why do you sound so calm about that?"

"Are you still drunk?" I added.

Sage slowly pushed himself into a sitting position. "No, I'm not drunk." He winced, a hand shooting up to his hand. "Definitely hung over though."

My mom put her hands on her hips. "You're underage, Mr. Ross."

"I know, but she tricked me," he muttered.

"She?"

He gave me an ashamed look. "Daphne, before you jump to conclusions—"

"You're talking about Anna, aren't you?" I accused. "Why were you getting drunk with her? I thought—"

"I said don't jump to conclusions!"

I pressed my lips together to keep myself from blurting anything out.

"Is she the one who dropped you off at my house?" Matt questioned.

"Must have been," Sage responded, frowning. "We ran into each other and she said she needed help fixing her door. Which she did," he added at my skeptical look. "Then she offered me a drink and, yeah…"

"Who's Anna?" my mom asked.

Matt turned to her. "One of Daphne's friends."

"Acquaintances," I corrected.

He rolled his eyes. "Whatever."

Sage grunted. "I can't believe she tricked me… Wait. You don't think it was to get back at me?"

"What do you mean?"

He turned to me. "Er, well, because of something I told her when I said I wouldn't date her; she asked me out yesterday."

My eyebrows furrowed together. "She asked you out? I thought she was dating Willis!"

"I guess they broke up."

"So she asked you out?"

"Yup."

"You said no?"

"Right."

Matt cocked his head to the side. "I thought you liked her?"

Sage shook his head. "At first, but now I'm interested in— no one," he corrected himself quickly, looking embarrassed. "I-I just want to be single."

I smirked at him. "Sure. I think I know what happened."

"Go away, Daphne," he muttered.

Before I could speak, Matt spoke up. "That doesn't explain why she purposely got you drunk."

"Maybe she thought Sage would want to be with her if he was drunk?" my mom guessed. "She sounds conniving."

"She led Wendell on," I added after a moment. For some reason, I felt upset by this news. Why would Anna do that? Sure, she seemed a little… fond of boys, but she seemed like a nice enough person. Or was that me just wanting her to be a nice person because I wanted to befriend her?

Sage ran a hand through his hair. "Whatever. It's over now. I just wish I could get rid of this headache…"

My mom smiled brightly at him. "I know just the drink to help fix that!"

"You do?"

"Sure! I was a teenager once. Come with me, Sage. I'll get it started."

"Thanks!" he responded enthusiastically, clumsily pushing himself off the ground and stepping on my hand in the process.

I hissed in pain, yanking it out from under him. "Ow!"

He glanced down at me, grinning in amusement. "Oops. You should have Matt kiss it."

"Funny," I shot back. "Go with my mom."

"Planning on it," he replied, mussing with my hair as walked away. "Nice hair, by the way."

My hand shot to my head, pressing down on my hair to try to make it flat. I always had bad bed head. Matt laughed as I grumbled under my breath, taking a hair band from my wrist and throwing my hair up.

"You should wear your hair up more," he told me, resting his chin on his fist and staring at me. "It's cute."

I wrinkled my nose. "Cute?"

"Mhm," he responded.

"What were you talking to my mom about earlier when I was asleep?" I asked, frowning at him. "Aside from moving out."

"Um, just stuff," he replied vaguely, pulling at the neck of his shirt. "Nothing really important."

I narrowed my eyes at him. "Then why are you acting nervous?"

His eyes pierced into mine. "I'm not."

"Yes you are!"

"I think you need your eyes checked."

"I have fine vision! Tell me what you guys were talking about!"

He waved me off, pushing himself out of the chair he was sitting on. "Never mind, Daphne. Want me to go make you something to eat?"

I scowled at him, scrambling to my feet, and grabbing the back of his shirt to keep him from walking away from me. "Wait a second, bud. You're not getting away with being so vague."

"Easy, Daphne, this is my favorite shirt." He gently pulled it out of my grasp, taking a little step away from me.

"No it's not. You like the black v-neck," I told him.

He grinned at me. "Damn. You know me too well."

"What were you talking about?"

"You're so nosy," he complained.

"Matt!"

Another sigh left his lips. "You're not going to give it up, are you?"

I shook my head, gazing at him determinedly. "I won't."

"Well," he started, running a hand through his shaggy white-blonde hair, "it was going to be a surprise, actually. Now that's ruined."

"Surprise?" I repeated, my eyes widening. "Really?"

He nodded. "You sure you want to ruin it?"

"Yes!"

A grin cracked onto his face. "It's a long way away… Well not really, but a few months."

"What is?" I pressed eagerly, nearly dying with curiosity. The word surprise had sent my heart into over drive. I liked surprises.

"For your graduation, I wanted to go somewhere."

I stared at him, waiting for him to continue. When he didn't, I frowned. "Well? What else? Where?"

He smiled at my impatience. One of his large hands mussed with the hair on my head. "I don't know. That's why I was talking to your mom. To see where _you_ wanted to go."

"Oh. And?"

"I haven't decided," he admitted honestly. "Your mom said you enjoyed going to the beach in New Hampshire—"

"With the board walk!" I said excitedly. "Yeah! I love that place! Are we going there, Matt?"

"A little excited, are we?"

I blushed, trying to hold in my excitement. That beach really was one of my favorite places to go. "S-sorry."

He flicked my nose. "It's fine. We can go there, I don't have a problem with it, but…"

"But?"

He shrugged, shoving his hands into his pockets. "I was planning on going somewhere further. Maybe down to Florida for a week or something."

"Florida?" I echoed. He wanted to go that far? "And like, we stay at a hotel?" That would be expensive…

"I have the money," he informed me casually. "Graduation is a big deal and I'm not lying when I say I'd like to go down to Florida. Although, we could actually do both…"

"Florida is fine!" I said excitedly. "Yeah! We don't have to do both!"

The corners of his lips lifted up into another smile. "Don't get too excited, Daphne. There's still about three months until you graduate."

"I want to graduate now," I mumbled.

He shot me a sly look. "For only that reason?"

My cheeks flushed at his implication. "M-Matt!"

"Daphne."

"Go make food," I ordered in a mumble.

He laughed, grabbing my arm and leading me to the kitchen with him. "You're too cute, Daphne."

"What? Really?"

My head snapped to Sage as soon as we entered the kitchen. An incredulous expression was on his face. Glancing around the room, I realized my mom wasn't in it anymore. I furrowed my eyes in confusion. Who was he talking to?

"Is he really hurt?"

Sage turned toward us now, using his free hand to tap his cell phone, which was against his ear. Curiosity crept up on me, and a little anxiety. Who was he talking to? And who was hurt?

"Yeah, yeah, I'll come get you. Give me a few minutes; I just have to freshen up. Okay. See you soon, Anna."

Anna? I crossed my arms, giving him a disapproving look. "Sage—"

"You guys won't believe," he interjected, staring at Matt and I with wide eyes. "Apparently Jackson was attacked last night."

"What?" I gasped. "By who?"

"Good, I hope he got what he deserved," Matt muttered.

I shot him a dirty look. "Matt! He could be severely injured!"

"Your point?"

I ignored him, turning back to Sage. "Do you know what happened?"

He shook his head. "No. But I have a sneaking suspicion… Jackson is new here. He's not mean to anyone but you, Daphne. And Ariana. Why would anyone want to hurt him?"

"Bryant," I stated, coming to the realization quickly. Maybe Jackson hadn't done something Bryant wanted him to.

Sage nodded solemnly. "I have to go give Anna a ride to the hospital. Apparently Jackson had the car when he was attacked. I'll talk to you guys later, okay?"

"Wait, can I come?"

"No," Matt answered for me.

I blinked at him. "Why not?"

"Think about it," he responded, narrowing his eyes. "Bryant is in jail, so he obviously had someone else attack Jackson. If you went to Jackson now, someone might notice you. I don't want you going."

"But—"

"No, Daphne. Let Sage find out what's going on and then he can report back to us."

Sage nodded in agreement. "I have to go with Matt on this one, Daphne. It's safer if you stay here."

Annoyed, I grit my teeth in frustration. Why was everyone attacking like I was a baby that needed protection? I wasn't that stupid! And anyway, a hospital was a public place. Nothing would happen there.

Matt rested one of his hands on my head. "Come on, Daphne. Don't be like that."

"I'm not being like anything," I snapped at him.

Sage chuckled. "Someone's cranky. Better get some food in her, Matt. She might try to bite your hand off."

I gave him a sarcastic look. "Funny, Sage."

"Bye, Daphne," he said with a wink. "See you guys later."

"Bye," Matt responded, moving around me to the cabinets. "What do you want to eat, Daphne?"

"Pancakes," I muttered, letting my shoulders sag in disappointment. If Sage and Matt weren't going to take me to the hospital, I would go myself… After Matt left and I was sure Sage wasn't there.

Matt nodded to himself. "Pancakes it is."

I stifled a sigh, gazing at his sturdy back. Going behind his back was something that was happening way too often. But how else would I get anything done?

He paused, turning to grin at me. I smiled back half-heartedly.

I was also growing way too used to the feeling of guilt.

* * *

**A/N. **I'm so, so, so very tired. I just want to curl up in bed and read a good book. I haven't done that in…_months_.

But on the Brightside, guess where I'm going this weekend?

Announcer: AND WHAT WILL YOU ALL BE DOING NEXT?

All winners of the Superbowl: WE'RE GOING TO DISNEY WORLD!

Heh. Heh heh. I'm uber excited. I'm so excited that I used the word "uber". My siblings are very lucky. Last year, my sister had a birthday in California, and the year before in the Philippines (we're going to Italy this year for her birthday. -.-'). We went to New York for my brother's birthday last year, and now we're going to Disney this year. And me? I get to go to school, _yay!_

Well, anyways…

**OMG! **All right, so I finally got to reading the third book of N.E.R.D.S.: Cheerleaders of Doom, and I could not stop smiling and laughing like a creep at Michael Buckley's questionnaire thingamabob:

**5. Confess something that no one knows about you.**

**a. I attend a school for wizards (10 pts)**

**b. I date a vampire (10 pts)**

**c. I'm the child of a Greek god (10 pts)**

**d. I'm a detective who investigates crimes committed by fairy-tale characters (10 pts)**

Aside from b., I LOVED ALL THE CHOICES! Harry Potter, Percy Jackson, Sisters Grimm…ah, man, I miss ongoing Sisters Grimm so much.

See you all _toooommoorrrooowwww._:D

~Lara


	35. Chapter 35:

**A/N. **HAPPY VALENTINES DAY! Or for the singles such as myself, **Single Awareness Day!**, aka S.A.D. :D

Thank you for the tremendous amount of reviews last chapter. Totally made my day. Again.

**Announcement: **Ookay, so just wanted to let you all know that the all-week-update is now coming to a close. After this chapter, we have two more updates until we go back to normal (sad, I know!). I'm not sure when the last all-week update is coming –it may be tomorrow as a double update (or not) because I'll be driving to Disney World in the afternoon; I'm not sure if I'll be able to get the last chapter up on Saturday since I don't know if I'll have Wi-Fi. But we'll see.

Song:

**Lightning by Alex Goot**

_She stares me down with those electric eyes. And no matter how hard I try, I can't escape her gaze tonight. That girls out in the atmosphere…And I've been catching myself thinking of it. It was three in the morning. Every day I chase after her, But I can't catch lightning…_

Story:

**In 27 Days by HonorInThe Rain **

_Hadley Jamison doesn't know what to think when she hears that her classmate, Archer Morales, committed suicide. She didn't exactly know him, but that doesn't stop her from feeling like there was something she could have done to help him. So to Hadley's surprise, on the very night of Archer's funeral, she has a run in with Death himself and is offered the chance to go back in time to stop Archer from ending his life. The catch? She only has twenty-seven days to do it. And if Hadley doesn't succeed? Well, she doesn't want to think about that._

I chose this story, not just because it was really well written and thought out, but because of the message it was trying to send the readers: People try to commit suicide every day. If you had the chance, wouldn't you want to stop someone from taking their own life? Hadley in this book tries all she can to succeed and starts to affect not only Archer, but his whole family, her whole family, and herself. It was a wonderfully meaningful book that I could _not _put down. :) Absolutely beautiful.

Enjoy!

* * *

_Chapter 35: Careers_

"Daphne, let's go to the mall."

I pulled my attention away from the television screen and gave Matt, who was now towering over me, a questioning look. "The mall? Where all teenagers hang out? All teenagers from our school that could catch us?"

He wagged his finger down at me. "Not that mall. One further away."

"That'll waste gas," I pointed out.

"It's fine," he told me with a wave of his hand.

Frowning, I returned my gaze to the T.V. It wasn't that hard to figure out what he was doing. He wanted to get me away from the town so I wouldn't go talk to Jackson. That was also why he hadn't left my house yet. Sage hadn't called yet, so I didn't know what was going on with him. If he was still at the hospital, he'd been there for at least three hours.

"I don't have any money," I finally stated.

"I'll buy you stuff."

Sighing, I shook my head. "No, Matt."

"Come on, Daphne. Let's go on a date."

I resisted the urge to scowl at him. "I know you're only doing this because you don't want me to talk to Jackson."

He placed a hand on my thigh. I turned to him. He gave me the most serious look he could muster. "Daphne Grimm, I'm aghast you would even think that!"

"You know it's true!"

He smirked evilly. "Even so, I'm not letting you go today."

"Why don't you want me to talk to him?"

An uncomfortable expression took over his smug one. He shifted into a different position, pulling his hand from my leg and into his lap. "I told you. I don't want you going because something might happen."

"It's a public place though!"

"Daphne, please. Just drop it."

"No!"

He narrowed his eyes. "You know, stubbornness is not an attractive quality."

"Neither is being over protective."

We held each other's hard gazes for a moment, daring the other to break it. Matt was the one who gave up first, a laugh escaping his lips. "I'm not being over protective. I'm just worried about you."

"I know," I said with a sigh. "I know. I understand. I get it. I just don't like it." Huffing, I crossed my arms. "What if you came with me?"

He made a face. "No, thank you."

"You could just wait outside—"

"_No_, Daphne."

"Why not?" I cried. "You're being so difficult!"

He sent me an amused glance. "I'm being difficult?"

"Yeah! I'm trying to compromise with you so I don't have to go behind your back, Matt!"

"Why should I help you feel better about yourself when you're going to do whatever you want anyway?"

I puffed out my cheeks. "Because you love me."

He chuckled. "It's really hard to be angry with you, you know? However, I still don't want you talking to Jackson. That kid's messed up. No matter what, he won't tell you the truth of what happened."

"How do you know that?"

"When has Jackson ever been completely honest with you, Daphne?" Matt questioned. "As far as I'm aware, he's only tricked you."

I cupped my elbow, chewing on my bottom lip. He was right. Jackson liked to make a fool out of me. But something was off this time. It didn't feel right. There was no way Jackson would get himself beat up and land himself in the hospital. Even if I didn't know him that well, I knew him enough to believe that wasn't true. Something had happened.

"I want to talk to him," I mumbled, focusing on the hair tie around my wrist.

Matt sighed. "You're not going to let this go, are you?"

I shook my head. "I'm sorry, Matt, but—"

"Don't apologize," he responded grumpily. "I should really get used to your stubbornness."

"Sorry," I apologized again.

He took my head into his hand and pressed it against his chest. "I said don't apologize, Daphne. I love you, which means I love the good qualities about you and the bad."

I pushed away from him, an expectant look on my face. "What's the deal then?"

"You know me too well," he responded with a grin. "You have to spend the day with me and then I'll drive you to the hospital."

"Are you going to wait up for me?"

He nodded. "I don't trust that guy at all. I'll be in the parking lot and you'll have half an hour. Is that okay?"

"It's okay," I agreed quickly. A half an hour was more than enough time.

"It's settled then. Let's go to the mall."

"Can we go somewhere else? I don't really like shopping," I told him honestly. "It gets boring and tedious."

He raised an eyebrow. "A girl that doesn't like shopping? That's new. What do you want to do then?"

"Let's go to the park," I suggested.

"The park? Isn't it kind of cold?"

"I'll wear a jacket," I promised him. "I just want to spend the day outside today. Malls are too crowded."

He shrugged. "Okay. We'll go to the park. I don't think a lot of people will be out today, so we'll be safe. Are you ready to go?"

I pulled at a strand of my hair. "Can I take a shower first?"

He gave me a sly smirk. "Only if I can take one with you."

"Matt!"

A laugh burst from his lips. "I'm kidding, Daphne. Go ahead. Try not to take too long."

With my cheeks burning, I pushed myself off of the couch. "You're starting to act like Sage."

That sobered him up pretty quickly. "I'm nothing like Sage!" he called after me as I quickly escaped from the room.

If I really wanted to, I bet I could've become a quick-shower artist when I grew up. Whenever Matt was waiting for me, my hair and body was washed in less than five minutes. I easily slipped into a pair of black sweatpants and the light blue Hollister sweatshirt Sabrina had given me for my seventeenth birthday. It was too much effort to put on jeans. At the moment, I couldn't care less about my appearance. If it was Matt, it didn't matter. However, I did spend a little time on my hair and applied a touch of makeup.

When I returned to the living room Matt was sitting on the couch, flipping through one of my mom's magazines. Upon hearing me, he looked up, scanned my body, and grinned. "Lazy day?"

I scratched the back of my head. "Well, it'll keep me warm, right?"

"Right," he agreed, springing up from the couch. "Shall we go then? If you have mittens you should probably grab a pair."

"Or you could hold my hand in your pocket," I suggested.

He did a double take at me. "Uh, sure…"

Smiling to myself, I followed him out my front door, locking it behind us. It was a lot colder than I'd expected. As soon as we entered his car, I reached for the heat and cranked it all the way up.

"The car's not even on yet," Matt said with a chuckle, now starting the engine. "Remember, it will blow out cold air for a few moments."

"Ah!"

"What?"

I stared at him. "We could have taken my car! I could've drove!"

He smirked. "Oops."

"Wait—"

"Too late," he said shortly, shifting the car into drive. "Maybe next time, Daphne."

I pouted at him. "Why don't you let me drive?"

"I let you drive once, remember? And then you realized you didn't even have your license on you."

"Simple mistake," I countered. "I'm sure that's happened to you plenty of times."

He grinned. "I've never forgotten my license. I just didn't feel like going back into the house to grab it."

I sighed. "That's a bad habit."

"Okay, Mom."

Ignoring his remark, I placed my hands over the vents that were now blowing warm air. The heat felt amazing on my cold hands. Without realizing it, I scrunched up my nose. Maybe going to the park was a stupid idea. It was still freezing outside— after all, it was only the beginning of March. What if one of us caught a cold? I couldn't deal with being sick at the moment…

"Daphne, let's not go to the park," Matt started, as if reading my mind. "We'll just drive around and talk."

"Talk? About what?"

"The future."

I turned to frown at him. "What about it?"

"I don't know. What you might want to do in college and stuff like that."

"My mom put you up to this didn't she?" I asked, shaking my head. "I wonder if she knows it's okay just to ask me directly."

He glanced at me. "Well, yes, she did, but I'm curious too. I know we've talked about this before, but have you talked to your guidance counselor yet?"

"No," I admitted quietly. "She's no help though. Whenever I mentioned something I wanted to do in the past she basically told me I was too stupid to do it. In the nicest way possible, of course."

"You're not stupid. You're a very smart girl. I bet you could do whatever you want, Daphne. Who's your guidance counselor? I think I'll have a talk with them—"

I grimaced. "There's no need for that. You know I've already applied to a few colleges. I'm waiting for a response to them."

"Do you have any idea of what you're going to do? Aside from a lawyer?"

Was there a hint of amusement in his voice? Wasn't I more likely to become a lawyer than Sage was? I couldn't imagine Sage being serious enough for that. Speaking of becoming a lawyer, how was he managing to teach gym class and go to college? Did he take all afternoon classes? When I went to college I wouldn't be able to take afternoon classes. It would make it harder to see Matt…

"Daphne?"

"I don't know," I responded with a sigh. "Maybe a nurse. But that takes so long…"

Matt gave me a confused look. "A nurse? That seems kind of random."

I bit my lip, twiddling with my fingers. "Er, well I've actually never thought of being a nurse before Sabrina and I found out about Everafters."

"What do you mean by that?"

"I've never experienced anyone getting injured in front of my eyes, or having a close friend being hurt. In those types of situations, I don't know what to do. All I could do was watch as Puck got injured by the Jabberwocky, as Sabrina was poisoned by Moth…as you got hurt, as Sage got shot, as Lance got shot… I hate the feeling of not being able to do anything. The only thing I can do is CPR, but that was never needed. Luckily."

Matt stayed silent for a moment. "I don't know whether to be impressed or troubled by your reason. Just so you know, I'm not planning on anyone close to me being hurt again, Daphne."

"I know," I responded, turning to stare out the window. "I don't know. It's just an idea."

"I think it's a great idea."

I smiled. "Are you just saying that?"

"No. You just seem like the type of girl that would enjoy life saving other people's lives. It suits you."

"You know what the best part is if I decide to become a nurse?" I questioned, turning my head to grin at him.

He glanced at me. "No, what?"

"I can go to the community college. Which means I can live with you."

"Or your mom," he added. "If that's what you really want to do, then I'm happy. But remember I don't want you to base your decision on me."

I waved him off. "I know, I know. You've said that enough. In fact, you've said it so much it sounds like you _want_ me to go away."

"Please," he snorted. "I'd never let you go."

"Home Ec is an important class if I'm going to take something serious like this, though… It's a good thing I have a great teacher."

Matt hummed. "Really? I heard he was a lying, devil of a teacher."

"Sometimes. I have a secret involving him though."

"Yeah?"

"I'm in love with him."

He smirked. "Naughty, naughty."

I laughed. "He's really not that bad once you get to know him. He's kind of a narcissist, but I can't really blame him. He is really handsome."

"Sounds like he's my type," Matt commented, running a hand through his hair. "I bet we look a lot alike."

"He's kind of mean, but it's for a good reason. Plus, his kindness outweighs whatever unpleasantness I witness. He's always looking out for me, even if he has to do things that make me angry. He gets along well with my mom and I care about him more than anyone else."

Matt grinned at me. "I already told you I'd let you go talk to Jackson. You don't need to cajole me."

I scratched the back of my head, giving him a sheepish look. "I think I kind of owe it to you. I know you hate when I do stuff like that."

"I do, but I care about you, so I get over it."

"Matt, did you ever think when you first met me that we'd end up together?" I questioned, curiosity bubbling up inside of me. I certainly hadn't thought that. Hoped, yes, but not thought.

His grip tightened on the steering wheel. For a few moments he stayed silent, as if debating on what to say. "Actually, I was pretty torn. My first thought was that I didn't want to see you again."

My eyes widened. "Really?"

He nodded. "You looked just like my ex-girlfriend, Daphne. I actually wanted to hate you."

"Really?" I repeated, my eyes growing even more. I never expected _that_.

"Yeah, but then right after I thought that I realized I wanted to see you again. So the next day I was shocked you were in my class. Part of me was excited while the other part was pissed."

"Gee, thanks," I said sarcastically.

He rolled his eyes at me. "Really, Daphne. If you don't want to hear it, you shouldn't have asked."

"Yeah, yeah. Was there a reason you technically blackmailed me into coming with you today?"

"You didn't want to?"

"That's not it!" I told him quickly, causing a smug expression to cross his face. I did my best to ignore it. "It's just you don't normally do it."

He removed one of his hands from the steering wheel and found mine with it. "We haven't had a chance to talk in a while, just you and me. I'd like to spend a little, uninterrupted time with my girlfriend before everything gets messy."

"What do you mean by that?"

A wrinkle appeared on his forehead as his lips turned down into a deep frown. "It's just a foreboding feeling. I wouldn't worry about it too much, but just in case…"

A foreboding feeling? Like the one I had before Bryant kidnapped me? The idea made my stomach shift uncomfortable. It was highly possible something was going to happen. It'd been too quiet lately. Sure, Jackson was still there, but Jackson was Jackson. He wasn't violent. He didn't seem like an actual gangster. He was only doing what Bryant asked him to. Who knew what Bryant was planning? It was obviously something. Why only tell Jackson certain thing about me? As much as I hated to (and didn't want to) admit it, something needed to happen. Be in Bryant breaking out of jail (highly impossible) or sending some different after me (more plausible), there had to be something.

"Maybe Jackson knows something," I proposed, squeezing Matt's hand. "I can probably talk it out of him."

Matt didn't look convinced. "You think? I know this may be hurtful to you, Daphne, but I'd better let you know sooner than later. Now, this might be a shock, but… Jackson hates you."

"Ha ha," I responded sarcastically. "I know that. But I also know he feels betrayed by Bryant. I could use that to my advantage."

"You're not thinking of befriending him, are you?"

For a moment, I was silent. Did I want to befriend Jackson? He was a jerk and I didn't like him very much, but… Maybe becoming his friend would change things. He'd help me instead of try to hurt me. "Well—"

"No, Daphne," Matt interjected. "Don't even think about it. Do you remember what he's done to you?"

"But—"

He shook his head. "No buts. If you forgive him for that, it's not being nice. It's being stupid."

"I think it's being nice."

"That's because you're too nice of a person. You wouldn't forgive Bryant, would you?"

"No!"

He lightly rapped his knuckles against my thigh. "Then there you go. Don't forgive Jackson."

I groaned. "You're not understanding."

"I suppose that's the biggest problem in our relationship," he stated quietly. "We have trouble understanding each other."

"That's because we're so different," I muttered.

The corners of his lips twitched. "That's very true. It's not a bad thing. It'd be strange if we were completely compatible."

"It's okay too because as soon as I graduate we won't have to deal with Jackson again," I told him, letting my head fall against the headrest. "I wish I could just graduate now."

"Two more months, Daphne."

"You're lucky you graduated early."

"I'll only agree with you because I'm a teacher now. My life feels the same as it was when I was attending high school."

I grinned. "Except right now you're not part of a gang."

He smiled wickedly. "Or am I?"

"You're not."

"I know," he told me with a laugh. "Can't say I miss it too much. Although I'm not going to lie and say it wasn't fun at the time."

I wrinkled my nose. "I don't see how you can think fighting is fun."

"That's because you're Daphne Grimm. Miss Could-Not-Even-Form-A-Fist."

"Good one," I snapped, feeling embarrassment wash over me.

His hand left mine so he could muss with my hair. "That's all in the past now. Let's stop somewhere and grab lunch and then I'll bring you to the hospital."

"Okay."

"Then afterward, you should come back to my house. Milkshake misses you, you know."

A silly smile grew on my face. "Milkshake! Oh my gravy! I miss him so much! Of course I'll come over!"

"For some reason I feel like a pedophile now," Matt muttered.

I laughed, gently pushing on his arm. "Maybe you shouldn't coerce people to go to your house with cute animals then."

"Just choose where you want to eat, Daphne."

"Subway!"

"Scrubway it is," he responded, putting on his left blinker. "You would choose the one restaurant we passed ten minutes ago."

* ~ * ~ *~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * 5 Dollar, 5 Dollar Foot Long; 5 Dollar, 5 Dollar Foot LOOOONG * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ *

"Half an hour, okay?"

I mocked saluted Matt. "_Vale!_"

"If not, I'm coming in."

"Don't come in," I warned him, dropping my teasing face. "If you come in you'll definitely blow our cover. Not to mention, I'm afraid you'll try hitting Jackson."

Matt looked offended. "I would not—"

"Save it."

He grinned. "Be careful, Daphne. Don't do anything stupid. Don't make him angry."

I waved him off. "Yeah, yeah. I'll be back then."

"Wait," he demanded, grabbing my wrist and pulling me closer to him. He gave me a quick kiss on the lips. "Bye, Daphne."

"Bye," I mumbled, pulling away from him. If it weren't for my spirit of inquiry, I would have stayed in the car and made out with him.

The smell of the hospital was familiar as I entered the building. It worried me how used to it I was. Before, I used to gag at the scent. What was worse was the fact I recognized the secretary at the front desk. Sighing inwardly, I moved toward the female, hoping she didn't seem too suspicious. Hopefully she wouldn't recognize me.

"Hi, Daphne!" the woman chirped brightly.

Figures.

I did my best to remember her name, but it escaped me. How come she wasn't wearing a nametag? I felt bad now. "Hey, how are you?"

"Great! How are you? Your stomach okay?"

I nodded. "It's fine now. Could you give me the room number for Jackson Tomber? I'm here to, er, visit him."

"Of course!" she responded in a chipper tone. She was way too happy for this job. "He's on the second floor in room twenty-forty-three."

"Thank you!"

"No problem, Daphne! See you soon!"

I smiled wryly at her. If all went well, I wouldn't be seeing her again. I'd been to the hospital way too many times already in my life. Anymore and I could consider it a curse.

It took me no time to find Jackson's room. I'd been in the room down the hall when I was recovering from my stabbing. This was the recuperation hall. After a moment of idling by his door, I took a deep breath, and brought my fist to the wood, knocking. After a brief second there was a short call of "come in".

I poked my head in, my eyes immediately going to Jackson's face. "Hi."

His face went blank for a split second before turning to annoyance. "Not you, too."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"It means what are you doing here?" he snapped. "Mr. Ross already interrogated me and I'll have you know, I didn't tell neither him, nor my sister anything and I sure as hell won't say anything to you."

I faltered a little bit at his words. He wouldn't even tell his sister? "Well, I won't leave until you tell me what happened."

"Then you'll be here all night."

We glared at each other stubbornly for a few moments until I gave in with a sigh. Taking the chair from the corner of the room, I dragged it closer to the edge of his bed, but not too close. "At least tell me what happened."

"Why?"

"I want to know."

"I was attacked."

I ground my teeth together. This guy was more infuriating than Matt ever was! "Well obviously! How hurt are you?"

"Three broken ribs," he grunted. "Some bruising and what not."

My gaze softened. "I'm sorry to hear that."

For some reason, Jackson looked taken aback. After a few moments he recollected himself and turned away from me. "I don't want your pity."

Once again I had to restrain myself from snapping at him. He really knew how to get on my nerves. "I'm not giving you pity, Jackson. I was just being polite."

"Yay," he said sarcastically.

"How come you won't tell your sister what happened?"

He gave me a flat stare. "Why should I?"

"She's your sister! I'm sure she's really worried about you—"

"Listen, if you're going to preach to me about how I should treat my family, then get out. You don't know anything."

"I do know that even if you two hated each other, she'd still be worried about you," I retorted. "Anna isn't a bad person."

Jackson cocked an eyebrow. "Really? You really think that? Even though she flirted with Mr. Ross and your best friend while dating Willis? Even though she can't make up her mind about who she likes?"

I frowned at him. "She's a girl…"

"That's not an excuse."

"Whatever. I'm not here to talk about her."

"Then leave."

"Tell me what happened, Jackson," I demanded. "I promise I won't tell anyone else. I just need to know."

"Why do you even care?"

"I told you, Jackson. I've been on the receiving end of Bryant. This isn't unlike him. I want to help you."

Jackson narrowed his eyes at me. "Bryant? Oh no, you've got this all wrong. He's not the one who ambushed me."

"Duh. He's in jail. I'm talking about his followers."

"They didn't do it either."

I cocked my head to the side. "Huh?"

He sneered at me. "Don't pretend like you don't know."

"Don't know what?" I said slowly, furrowing my eyebrows. If not Bryant, who else would attack Jackson? No one I knew came to mind.

"You know I get sick of your innocent act," he told me, scowling.

"I really don't know what you're talking about!"

He crossed his arms. "Yeah right. You were probably laughing about it with Mr. Ross and Mr. Firay all last night, right?"

I shook my head. "No! We didn't even know you were in here until today— Oh," I gasped, covering my mouth. Too late.

"You were with them last night?" Jackson questioned, a sly smirk spreading across his face. "What were you three doing?"

"T-they're my mom's friends," I made up quickly.

"I doubt that."

Wincing, I decided to change the subject. There wasn't anything I could say to cover up my mistake at the moment. "Who attacked you?"

He ran a hand over his face. "You're really annoying."

"If not Bryant, then who?"

A dark look flashed across his face. "Oh? Maybe you really don't know? How mean."

"How is that mean?"

"Someone so close to you wouldn't tell you he was going to assault me."

My body tensed up. Someone close to me? Sage? No, he was drunk and at my house all night. Lance? Why would he attack Jackson? Slowly, I moved my eyes to Jackson's pale face. "I don't…"

"Mr. Firay," he stated in a hard voice. "He was the one who attacked me last night."

My eyes flew open. No way.

Mustardseed?

* * *

**A/N. **I cannot express to you how tired I've been this week. I don't know if it's the stress and tiring-ness of the daily updates or just school or whatever but I've had really horrible mornings this past week. :/ I feel like I need a lot more sleep. Oh well; hopefully I'll be better by the time I get to Disney. ;)

Anyways.

See you all tomorrow! Have a wonderful day!

~Lara


	36. Chapter 36:

**A/N. **Hello people of FanFiction!

**Announcement (Again): **It seems I may not be able to post the last All-Week-Update before I leave for Disney World. I seriously just got on the computer at 12 PM, and I'm leaving in like an _hour_. So you can guess how much I'm rushing this.

Song:

**Bad by The Cab**

_It feels just like it was yesterday. We were in love. Why's it falling apart? I've never been one to walk away, But I've had enough, and it's breaking my heart. Cause you love me just the way that you should. It's nothing that you do, no, it's nothing you say. Yeah, baby, I know that you're good, But I don't want a good girl, no, not today…_

Story:

**In 27 Days by HonorInTheRain**

_Hadley Jamison doesn't know what to think when she hears that her classmate, Archer Morales, committed suicide. She didn't exactly know him, but that doesn't stop her from feeling like there was something she could have done to help him. So to Hadley's surprise, on the very night of Archer's funeral, she has a run in with Death himself and is offered the chance to go back in time to stop Archer from ending his life. The catch? She only has twenty-seven days to do it. And if Hadley doesn't succeed? Well, she doesn't want to think about that._

Now to the story…Did Matt really beat up Jackson? Is Jackson telling the truth? What is Daphne's reaction to Jackson's statement?

Dun, dun, dun…

Enjoy!

* * *

_Chapter 36: Apologies_

I burst out laughing, causing Jackson to frown. "Matt?" I cried through my laughter, holding my gut. "Oh, that's a good one, Jackson. Oh, ow…"

"What's so funny?" he demanded. "It's the truth!"

"You really think I'll believe that?" I deadpanned, putting an abrupt halt to my laughter. "I may be unfairly nice to you- and by unfairly, I mean I should hate your guts but I don't- but you're still a liar."

He set his jaw. "I'm not."

"Matt was with me all night. Didn't you hear me earlier?"

"So you're telling me you didn't sleep at all?"

Crossing my arms, I leaned back in my chair. "Yeah, I slept. I'm not some superhuman that can run perfectly on no sleep."

"Since you're no superhuman you wouldn't be able to tell if Mr. Firay left while you were asleep, now would you?"

That threw me a ball. It was possible that Matt had left while I was asleep. However, it didn't convince me. He wouldn't attack Jackson. He was smarter than that. He would've told me if he did. "He didn't attack you, Jackson."

"Yes, he did!"

I shook my head. "Drop it. I won't believe you."

He narrowed his eyes. "Why not? I've seen Mr. Firay angry. He's not exactly the charmer. Remember that time I posted those pictures? Maybe he's still pissed about that and wanted to take revenge on me—"

"And lose his job?" I interjected skeptically. "Jackson, Matt wouldn't risk his job like that."

"Why do you call him Matt?"

"He's a family friend."

Jackson didn't look convinced. "Funny. You can come up with excuses for everything, can't you? Just so you know, I knew two of those pictures were not Daphne. They were you. I know the difference. I use to see Daphne nearly every day."

"If you knew, how come you didn't say anything?"

His mouth opened to respond, but his eyebrows furrowed, and he shut it again, seemingly unsure of what he wanted to say. "I… I didn't say anything because they wouldn't believe me."

I cocked an eyebrow. "Really?"

"R-really," he muttered, dropping his gaze.

"Or was it because you felt bad about what happened?" I guessed, scrutinizing him for his reaction.

It wasn't completely unexpected. His eyes widened and he immediately got defensive. "No! You still deserve it! But Daphne… Daphne, she yelled at me for it. Of course I couldn't tell. Besides, I was pissed at Bryant for lying to me— I still am, as you know. It was one of those little things I could do to defy him."

I suppressed a smile. He still listened to his old babysitter? Maybe that would come in handy later… "Wait," I said, my eyes snapping to his. "Defy Bryant?"

"Yeah, he wanted you in trouble so I figured if I just let that bit slide than it would be defying him."

"I don't get it. Why would you want to defy him after all that trouble you went through for him? Now everyone in school in the administration thinks you're a lying troublemaker."

Jackson stared at me almost pityingly. Like I was the stupidest person on Earth. "I'm not sure how many times I need to say this, but I was angry at Bryant. He lied to me. I had to get back at him somehow."

I furrowed my eyebrows together. "Then why are you still trying to ruin my life? Why waste your time?"

"I'm not wasting my time."

"You didn't answer my first question. Why don't you give it up? You can't do anything to ruin my life. Like pretending Matt attacked you, why keep up that façade when I know it's not the truth?"

He sunk back into the pillows of his bed. "Because it's still Bryant…"

I gasped. "Bryant! I was right! His followers attacked you, didn't they? Didn't they, Jackson?"

"I told you," he growled, "It was Mr. Firay."

"No," I said slowly, "because I just asked you why you were still lying about it being Matt, and you said because it's still Bryant."

Jackson's eyes narrowed and he sat up swiftly, reaching his arm out to grab me. I leaned away from him, watching as he face contorted with pain. He let out a low groan, his hand dropping to his stomach. "Damn it."

"Are you okay?" I asked, scooting forward in my seat. "Do you want me to get the nurse—"

"No," he replied sharply. "Just leave."

"Not yet."

"Get out."

"No."

"Daphne, leave."

"No."

He glared at me. "You're so stubborn! It's annoying!"

I puffed out my chest. "I'm actually happy being stubborn. If you're not stubborn, then you're a push-over."

"I don't get you," he said with a sigh. "After all the things I've done to you. You should hate me. Like Mr. Firay and Mr. Ross do. I've punched your best friend, Daphne. I've tried to take advantage of you."

"Yeah, and you got what you deserved for that. Everyone makes mistakes, Jackson. You took the wrong path when it came to Bryant, and if there's no one to set you on the right one, you'll just continue down the wrong one. You're just lucky you tried to ruin my life and not someone's who's unforgiving… Although it also has to do with the fact I was kind of in your position before," I added as an afterthought.

He shook his head at me. "You're an idiot."

"Now tell me. Did Bryant's followers attack you?"

For a few moments there was only silence. Trying to be as patient as possible, I rested my hands on my lap, waiting for his response. He finally sighed. "Yes. There were two people I didn't know, but James was there. That's how I found out it was Bryant who set them on me."

"James?" I repeated in surprise. "Isn't he in jail?"

"You know him?"

"He stabbed me," I explained.

Jackson's eyes widened. "What?"

"Don't you ever listen when I talk to you?" I asked, grimacing.

"No," he deadpanned, "but, no, he's not in jail. Obviously. He probably put the blame on someone else."

I furrowed my eyebrows together. That wasn't good. Matt would want to know about that. "So what happened?"

"Bryant wants you and Mr. Firay to break up."

"He what?" I cried, my eyes flying wide open in surprise.

Jackson snorted. "Yeah. Like I'll believe him after the thing with Mr. Ross. So I told James to tell him I wasn't going to do it. I can't exactly afford to be kicked out of school."

My heart was racing in my chest. Jackson didn't believe Matt and I were dating? Was that a good thing or a bad thing? What if he began to trust me and found out about our relationship? Would he be angry? But it wasn't like I could tell him.

"Daphne?"

"Sorry," I apologized quickly. "But do you see what I mean now? Nothing good will come with being on Bryant's side."

Crossing his arms, Jackson turned his nose up at me. "I wasn't on his side. I just do what he asks because I owe him."

"Even though you have nothing against me personally?"

"Well, I still want better grades in home ec and gym class."

I stared at him blankly. He couldn't be serious. Even though Bryant had his followers attack Jackson, Jackson still wanted to try to blackmail me? Maybe he wasn't worth forgiving. Clenching my fists, I opened my mouth to yell at him, but he beat me to it.

Instead of yelling though, he laughed. A genuine laugh. "You should see your face—_ ow!_ Shit that hurts!" he groaned, hugging his midsection.

Confused, I continued staring at him. "What—"

"I've given up," Jackson told me, becoming serious again. "I learned Bryant won't be out of jail for at least another twenty years yesterday. He told me he'd be out at the end of this year. It's not worth the wait. Maybe if he hadn't lied so much to me…"

"It's in his nature."

"I know, but it still hurts."

"Jackson…"

He blushed, turning his head away from me. "Shut up. Don't even say anything. I'm giving up on him. So you win. You won't have to deal with me anymore."

"Hey," I said slowly, inching my hand toward him. "It's okay to feel hurt. I've mentioned this before, but the person I loved lied to me. Remember? We talked about it?"

"I wasn't listening."

"Of course," I muttered dryly. "Anyway, it sucked, but he made up for it. Bryant hasn't tried to make up for it, right? He just is trying to continue using you, right? It's good to let him go. You can find a new love."

Jackson's head snapped toward me. "W-what? Love? No! It's not like that!"

"What's with that reaction? Denial?"

"N-no!"

I smirked. "Sounds like it to me."

He glowered at me for a few moments, setting his jaw. "So what? So _what_? It's not like I chose to fall in love with him. He's a _guy_. I know. That makes me a faggot, right? A fag. Go ahead, say it."

"No!" I cried, standing up from my seat. Jackson threw me a surprised glance. "Don't call yourself that, Jackson!"

"Isn't that what I am?"

"No! You're still a normal person. Who cares whether you like males or females? We don't decide those types of things. You fall in love with the person you fall in love with. Don't say such hurtful things. You may not be hurt by those words, but other people are. It's okay to be gay."

"I prefer the term homosexual," he said in a hard tone.

Flustered, I spluttered out an apology. "I-I didn't mean to offend you—"

"It's fine," he cut me off, another laugh escaping from his lips. "Ow…"

My head was beginning to hurt. Was he angry or not? "You're really confusing, you know that?"

"You are too," he retorted. "If you keep being this nice, someone's really going to take advantage of you next time."

"If there weren't people like me in the world, it'd be a horrible place."

First the first time since I met him, he smiled. For a second I was too taken aback to have any reaction. It was an extremely handsome smile. I was star struck. He noticed me staring. "What?"

"You smiled…"

He scowled. "So?"

"You look cute," I told him.

"Don't you have a boyfriend?"

"Yeah, but— wait, how do you know?"

"I listen sometimes."

"B-but then why did you kiss me?"

A mysterious smile slipped onto his face. "Hmm, I don't know. I just thought I might like it."

Now it was my turn to scowl at him. "You're an asshole!"

"Right-o," he said, spinning his finger in a circle. "And Daphne?"

"What?"

"Don't tell anyone I'm, you know, gay," he requested quietly. "You may be understanding, but not a lot of people are."

I nodded. "Okay. Only if you can promise me one thing."

"What?"

"You stop being mean to me."

His face scrunched up as if he was making the biggest decision in his life. I resisted the urge to roll my eyes. "Fine," he agreed, trying to sound reluctant.

"And you have to apology to Sage next time you see him. And Ariana. And Matt. And Wendell. And your sister."

"Anna?" he repeated.

"She cares about you," I told him, frowning. "You were being a jerk to her too. Don't make her worry like that."

"Okay," he mumbled. "Is that it?"

"Yes. I'm going to make sure everyone gets their apology too."

He waved me off. "I'll do it, I'll do it."

Suddenly there was a knock at the door. Jackson's eyes snapped to it, a questioning look to them. I hurried toward it, opening it to reveal Matt. "Hey!"

"Are you ready to go?" he asked in a strained voice.

I bit my lip. "I actually have a favor to ask of you."

He gave me a wary look. "What?"

"Come in," I ordered, pulling him in and closing the door behind us. "Jackson has something he wants to say to you."

Jackson gave me the darkest death glare I'd ever received. "Daphne!"

"He might as well be the first."

"First for what?" Matt inquired, raising an eyebrow.

"Jackson."

"I'm sorry," Jackson forced through gritted teeth. "For troubling you and stuff. Sorry."

Matt gave him a confused look before turning to me. "What…?"

"Just accept it," I told him.

Still befuddled, he turned back to Jackson. "I don't accept it."

"Huh?" Jackson and I said simultaneously.

"I don't know what went on in here, but I won't accept your apology that easily. You did a lot of shit to Daphne and those close to her. It'll be a while before I'll accept it."

"Matt—"

"It's fine," Jackson interjected. "I understand."

Matt nodded. "Good."

"Matt, Bryant was the one that led the attack on him—"

"Hey!" Jackson protested. "I didn't say you could tell anyone!"

I smiled at him. "Oops. Too late now."

He narrowed his eyes at me. "You…"

"Anyway, Matt, this may seem like a tough request, but do you think it's possible if you keep an eye on Jackson for a little while? Just while he's in the hospital."

"Why?" both boys chorused.

"I'm afraid they might come after him again," I said to Matt, glancing at Jackson. "You know how Bryant is."

Matt ran a hand through his hair, heaving a sigh. "Why, Daphne?"

"Please, Matt," I begged.

He stared at me for a moment before sighing once more. "Okay, fine. I don't really understand why you want to help him, but if you want to so bad I guess I have to help."

I frowned at him. What was with that irritated tone to his voice?

"I don't need protection," Jackson snapped.

"Yes, you do," Matt retorted. "I've known Bryant longer than you have. When his prey is weak is when he likes to attack."

"It's true," I added.

Jackson _harrumph_ed and turned his back on us. "Whatever. I'm going to take a nap. You two, leave."

"I'll be more than happy to," Matt replied, grabbing my upper arm. "Let's go, Daphne."

"Okay," I mumbled, allowing him to lead me to the exit. "See you, Jackson."

"Wait, Daphne."

Matt paused, allowing me to stop. "What?"

"I'm sorry to you too," he apologized using a much more sincere voice than when he was apologizing to Matt. "I'm really sorry."

"It's okay," I told him, surprised. "Yeah, it's totally fine!"

"Sorry."

I waved my hand at him, but realized he couldn't see it and dropped it. "It's fine. Thank you, Jackson."

He grunted an incoherent response. I smiled. Matt tugged on my arm and I followed him out of the room. The doors shut behind us and I expected a barrage of questions. When none came, I glanced up at him. "Matt?"

"Hmm?"

"Don't you have any questions?"

"Nope."

"No?"

He shook his head. "I'd rather not know what happened in there."

"It's nothing bad," I assured him. "It's just… Well, we won't have to worry about him anymore. He's gotten sick of Bryant."

"Which is why you want me to protect him?"

"You don't want to?"

"Not really," he admitted. "I'm not as good of a person as you, Daphne. I can't forgive people that easily. Especially after what he's done to you."

I reached for his hand, squeezing it tightly. "I understand."

"I'm sorry."

"Don't be," I scolded him. "You're not the same person as me. That's a good thing. Besides, you're nice enough to at least help him out after all that he's done. That's good enough for me."

Matt flicked my nose. "You're a silly girl."

"Oh! That reminds me! Matt, James isn't in jail."

He froze. His piercing blue eyes met mine. "What?"

"That's who attacked Jackson. Jackson recognized him."

"You believe Jackson?"

"Completely. He definitely wasn't lying this time. Didn't you hear when he apologized to me?"

Matt nodded, clenching his jaw. "I have to admit that was pretty believable. But if that's true, you're in danger too."

I blinked. "Me?"

"James's the one who stabbed you."

"Yeah, but Bryant's doing everything through Jackson—"

"And if Jackson stops obeying like you said he's going to, then they'll come straight after you."

No way… Why hadn't I thought of that? If Jackson stopped doing his bidding, Bryant would go straight to the source…

Straight to the source?

"Matt…"

"What?"

"We need to go see Bryant," I said, grabbing his arms. "We have to go see him!"

His eyes widened. "What? Daphne, no. Absolutely not."

"Together, Matt! If we go see him, we can try to end this! He can't do anything to us because there will be cops all over the place! We might be able to convince him to stop!"

"Daphne, hold on a second. That's not a very smart idea," Matt responded, peeling my hands off him.

"No! It is! Listen—"

"No you listen. Going to see Bryant directly won't help anything."

I clenched my fists. "But…"

Matt gently undid my fists, holding my hands in his. "You're a little worked up right now. Why don't we think it over later? If we can think of a good reason to go see Bryant, we can. But it might be stupid to go blindly."

"You're right," I agreed reluctantly. "You know, I'm lucky to have you. You're a lot more rational than me."

"Sometimes it makes me feel like your father, not your boyfriend," he admitted. "I feel as though I'm too overbearing."

I smiled gently at him. "No, you're perfect. I need someone to overbear on me. Otherwise, I'll do stupid things."

"At least you'll admit it," he commented, kissing me quickly.

I blushed, taking a few steps away from him and glancing around the room. A few nurses with patients were out in the corridor. "M-Matt! Not while everyone's around!" I reprimanded.

"I couldn't help myself," he responded with a smirk. "Come on, we'll go somewhere more private then. Wimp."

* * *

**A/N. **In the wise words of my friend, Sofie: "I'M DYYYINNG."

Not really. But I'm in a super duper rush right now, soooooo...

See you all Monday! (Which is the last all-week-update, by the way; it would actually be tomorrow, but I'm really, really sure I won't be able to get Wi-Fi while in Orlando. :/)

Thanks for the comments and favorites and alerts!

**Have a great weekend!**

~Lara


	37. Chapter 37:

**A/N**. _Celebrate...the world filled with magic...wish upon a star...that shines so bright..._

Short summary: Disney was awesome! Wanted a picture with Peter Pan so bad (sadly, didn't happen). Watched the Electric Light Show and the Cinderella's Castle Projection show. Beautiful. Went on 3/4 of the rides at Magic Kingdom and pretty much all of Epcot (fireworks were AMAZING!). So yeah. :) Very happy. So happy. I feel like a kid again.

**700th Reviewer: Guest!** (Who said:) Hi just read the chapter it is really really good Im looking ford to the next one. Happy last Valentines Day! I tip my hat to you, my friend. :D

Song:

**"Celebrate the Magic! Projection Show" song by Disney**

_Celebrate the world filled with magic. Wish upon a star that shines so bright .Enter a world of make believe. Let your dreams come true tonight..._

I have absolutely no idea what it's called, but it was played at Cinderella's Castle on Saturday night in Disney World. It's an awesome song, but I CANNOT FIND IT ANYWHERE. It plays in the "Celebrate the Magic! Projection Show". It's a beautiful song and it's killing me that I don't know what it's called. D:

Story:

**Cold Feet by SweetShireen (FanFiction)**

_(Obviously, I had to recommend this story since it won TSGS2012! Congrats, SweetShireen! Hakuna matataa!)_

_There were a lot of things Puck, otherwise known as the Trickster King, liked to say he was. Strong, superior, diabolic and extremely handsome to name a few. But there was one thing the Trickster King wasn't and swore never to be; a coward. The BEST SISTERS GRIMM STORY of 2012!_

Welp, here it is. The last AWU. I'd just like to say it's been a pleasure updating (almost) every single day of the week and losing sleep (heehee) but I'm glad I did it. It was absolutely wonderful receiving reviews practically left and right throughout the whole week. :D I hope you sincerely enjoy this chapter. Hopefully I'll be updating Saturday but most probably: Sunday. :)

Random Question: Does MB say whether or not Daphne actually has a middle name?

Enjoy!

* * *

_Chapter 37: Caught_

"Well hello transfer student," Wendell greeted, sidling up to me, and wrapping an arm around my shoulder. "How you doin'?"

I rolled my eyes at him, pushing him away, pausing in front of the back entrance of the school. "Transfer student?"

He nodded. "You haven't hung out with me in a while, so you've dropped on my friend pyramid."

"I'm sorry," I apologized, frowning. "We can hang out some time this week. Me, you, and Ariana."

"No boyfriend?" Wendell questioned.

"No boyfriend," I told him honestly. "I don't need to be around him twenty-four seven, Wendell."

He raised an eyebrow, looking at me skeptically. "Sure…"

"I don't! I just like to be around him. As I should. Since I'm his girlfriend."

"I want a girlfriend," Wendell sighed wistfully.

I nudged him in the side. "Go ask Anna out. Sage turned her down so I think you have a chance now."

His eyes widened. "I thought she was dating Josh?"

"They broke up," I told him. "I think she was dating some other guy too, but they broke up as well. You might as well give it a shot, huh?"

Determination flashed in his eyes. "She'll soon love me. Just watch, Daphne, she and I will be closer than you and Firay are."

I snorted. "Impossible. Matt and I have a love bond that can never be broken."

"_Love bond_, hmm?" a new voice pitched in, sounding amused. "And I thought _I_ said the cheesy stuff."

Blood rushed to my cheeks and I twisted around to come face-to-face with Matt. He smirked at me. I did my best to keep my composure. "G-good morning, Mr. Firay."

"Good morning, Ms. Grimm," he responded, patting my head. "I have a feeling this is going to be a good week."

"Why's that?" Wendell asked, crossing his arms.

Matt wagged his finger at him. "Ah, young one, that is the question, isn't it?"

He blinked back. "Okay…"

"He's happy because Jackson is going to be in the hospital for a while," I told Wendell, shaking my head at Matt, who was now grinning like a maniac. "Even though he shouldn't be so happy about someone being mugged," I added accusingly, shooting him a dirty look.

He shrugged. "He had it coming. It saved me the trouble."

"Matt!"

"Daphne!"

"Wendell!"

I paused. That didn't sound like Wendell's voice. "Ariana?"

"Daphne?"

"Ariana?"

"Hi, Mr. Firay!" she chirped, popping out from behind Wendell. "You're looking excellent today!"

Matt flashed her a handsome smile. "Don't I every day?"

"No," she deadpanned.

He scowled. "You're a brat."

She gave him an innocent smile. "Actually, I'm eighteen, so I'm an adult. Your remark is void."

"I hate your friends," he muttered moodily to me. "They're—"

"Awesome," Wendell interjected, throwing an arm around my shoulder again. "I know, Firay, you're stuck with that Sage guy. He seems cool though."

"He is," Ariana told him the same time Matt said, "He's not."

Wendell cocked an eyebrow. "Right…"

"Anyway, today at lunch let's all meet up in Mr. Firay's room," Ariana suggested, holding up a gigantic cooler. "My mom went to a family picnic yesterday and made enough food for Japan, so I brought some of the extras to share for lunch. I'm going to go invite Sage too."

"Why my room?" Matt complained.

"Because if we don't do it in your room, you won't come," Ariana responded as if she was stating the obvious.

He sighed. "You still need to get my permission first."

She pouted. "Fine. Can—"

"Matt, can we please eat lunch in your room?" I asked, cutting Ariana off and giving him the best puppy-dog look I could muster.

"You know that look doesn't work on me," he responded, frowning.

"Hey," Wendell interjected, waving his hand. "We'll be late—"

I crossed my arms. "Fine. I see how it is. You don't want to eat lunch with me. That's okay. I'm sure _Daniel_ wouldn't mind replacing you— _ow!_"

Wendell snorted as I grasped Matt's hands, which were pinching my cheek by the thumb and forefinger. He wiggled my cheeks up and down. "Aren't you just so cute when you try to use jealously to force me do things?"

"I'm wot! I'm wot!" I cried, grimacing in pain. "I'm sowwy! I'm sowwy!"

He finally let go, a satisfied expression on his face. "Good."

I rubbed my cheeks, glowering at him. "You're so abusive."

"Don't even start, Daphne," he said, shaking his head. "I've never hit you. You've punched me multiple times. I think the abusive one is _you_."

"I-I'm not!"

Wendell rolled his eyes. "Seriously, you guys. If we don't hurry, we're going to be—" The bell rang, cutting him off. "Late," he finished with a scowl.

Ariana was the first one in the building. "Okay! See you guys at lunch time in Mr. Firay's room!"

"Ariana! I didn't say… She's gone," Matt sighed, running a hand through his messy hair.

Wendell clapped him on the shoulder as he walked by. "See you then, Firay. Don't get too excited."

"I won't."

I nudged him in the shoulder. "Come on, it'll be fun."

"Putting Ariana and Sage together is not fun," he responded, giving me a flat look. "It's dangerous."

"How is it dangerous?"

"To my health. I get headaches."

I laughed, rolling my eyes at him. "Come on, Matt. Don't be a sore thumb about this. It's been a while since we've all gotten together to do something."

He pursed his lips at me for a moment before reluctantly nodding. "Okay, okay. I guess if I _have _to I'll let you guys use my room as a gathering center."

"That's the spirit!"

"In return, I want you to kiss me."

I did a double take at him. "Huh?"

"You heard me. Right here. Right now."

My eyes widened in disbelief. "B-but we're in front of the school. Someone might see us!"

His lips formed into mischievous smirk. "So you won't?"

"It's too dangerous!"

"Danger is my middle name," he replied with a wink.

I cocked my head to the side. "What _is_ your middle name?"

"Eugene," he said, stretching out his arm toward me and grasping my upper arm. He gently tugged on it. "Now come here. Just a quick kiss."

"Are you serious?" I responded, a smile breaking out on my face. "Eugene? Haha! That's _so_ nerdy!"

He shot me a dirty look. "Yeah? What's _your_ middle name?"

"Daphne Veronica Grimm."

"You have your mom's first name as your middle name?"

"It's better than Eugene. Although Gene is a cute nickname... Aw, Gene! I like that a lot—"

Matt used the hand that wasn't holding onto me to grip my chin, turning my head up to him. "You know who else is cute?"

"Um… Milkshake?"

He smirked, bringing his handsome face closer to me. "Nope," he drawled, his breath caressing my lips. "You. When you blush. Just like you're about to now."

Predictably, a warm blush spread across my cheeks. He straightened up, letting out a quiet chuckle, but didn't release my face. When I tried to pull away from him, he just held my chin tighter. "Matt, someone might come," I protested.

"Kiss me."

"Just a quick peck then," I murmured, pushing myself onto my tiptoes so I could reach his lips. A thrill of excitement ran through me as I closed the space between us. Kissing in front of the school felt so exhilarating… it was like an adrenaline kick. Our lips met, but I found it impossible to pull away right away as I'd planned. Instead, I pressed myself into him harder, wrapping my arms around his neck.

He didn't seem to have a problem with it. We both knew we were already late and this was just making us later, but we didn't care. It didn't bother us that someone could walk by at any second and see us. All the fears about being caught disappeared when our lips were connected. The only things that mattered were the two of us. He nipped at my bottom lip and I only hesitated a nano-second before opening my mouth so he could have access to it.

"Oops…"

Matt and I wrenched away from each other at the sound of a voice coming from behind me. My body tensed up and a sudden urge to be sick washed through me. Who was it? I didn't have the guts to turn around and face the person. This was it. We'd thrown caution to the wind and been caught. I could feel tears threatening my eyes already. _Stupid move_, I berated myself fiercely. _Stupid, stupid_.

Matt cleared his throat uncomfortably. "Ms. Tomber…"

I twisted around now, my mouth falling open a little bit. Anna was standing there, her eyes wide open, her backpack in her hand. She stared between me and Matt, apprehension dawning in her eyes. "Oh…"

"Anna," I started, my voice coming out as pleading. "Please listen—"

"I knew it!" she cried excitedly, her eyes lighting up. "I knew you were never dating Mr. Ross! I could tell by your eyes that you guys were in love with each other! Jackson said I was crazy! But I knew it! Oh my god, that's too _cute_! _Aw_,_ you guys_!"

I blinked at her, not expecting her response. "Um…"

"Anna," Matt started in an authorative tone. "What you just saw—"

"Will be kept a secret!" she rushed quickly, nodding her head enthusiastically. "I swear I won't tell anyone! Not one single soul!"

Now even more taken aback, I couldn't help but gaze at her suspiciously. "Why…" I started, but couldn't think of a question. What did I want to ask her? Why she was going to keep it a secret for us?

Her smile faded a little bit. "You probably know, Mr. Firay, but Daphne, I had a relationship with a teacher once. As you can probably guess it didn't work out too well. We were caught and I had to transfer schools… It was pretty awful. For me at least. He lost his job, so he automatically started to hate me," she explained, tugging at her hair. After a moment she looked up, her multicolored eyes gazing straight at me with a look of determination. "But if I had to compare you and me, Daphne, I would say I looked at him the same way you look at Matt. I wouldn't want to ruin something like that."

It was amazing how someone could shock another so much. "Um, thank you…" I said awkwardly, my heart still pounding in my chest.

She smiled kindly. "Don't thank me. Relationships are cute."

"Then why can't you stay in one for more than a week?" I blurted out before I could stop myself.

"Daphne," Matt scolded in a sharp voice.

"I'm sorry!" I apologized, holding up my hands. "I shouldn't have said that. I'm really sorry, Anna."

She shook her head. "Don't apologize. I know everyone thinks it."

"But—"

"I'm already late," she cut me off, glancing at the school building. "I'm going to head inside. By the way, I love your tie, Mr. Firay," she added as he passed by us. "It really brings out your eyes."

I glanced at her one last time and she winked at me. Confused, I watched her back as she entered the front doors. "She's strange," I finally commented, turning back to Matt.

He frowned deeply, crossing his arms. "Can we trust her?"

"I think so… She seemed sincere."

"She could be like her brother though."

"No, I doubt that."

"You always see the good in people, Daphne. I think you have a blind eye to the bad."

I puffed out my cheeks. "I see Bryant's bad."

He shrugged. "Bryant's Bryant."

Letting the subject drop, I decided to lecture him. "No more kissing in front of the school," I stated defiantly. "I knew it was a bad idea."

"And yet you wouldn't let me go," he responded playfully.

"Matt."

"I know. Sorry. I got carried away. I wasn't thinking about the people coming into school late. I was only thinking that this hallway is always empty in the morning so no one would notice."

Sighing, I shook my head at him. "We just won't do it again."

"Yep. We'll kiss in the elevator and stairwells instead."

"Matt!"

"Daphne!" he mimicked.

I glowered at him. "You—"

"Are extremely late," he interjected, grabbing my shoulders, and guiding me to the glass doors. "You better get to homeroom. I'll see you at lunch."

"See you then," I grumbled, letting him usher me inside before taking off down the hall in course for my homeroom. Somehow I managed to make it before the second bell rang. The door was open, so I rushed, making the teacher jump at his desk.

"Daphne, careful—"

"_Wah!_" I cried, feeling my foot slide forward. Immediately I lost my balance, falling backward and hitting the ground hard.

Giggles burst through the entire room as I stared up at the ceiling in shock, feeling my face start to heat up. A few people asked if I was okay. Mr. Andrews, my homeroom teacher, came over to me looking worried. "Sorry," he apologized. "I spilled coffee earlier and had to wipe down the floor."

I grimaced. Just my luck. And ten bucks said Matt was going to hear of it by lunchtime.

* * *

**A/N. **I just need a little help with something. If you're up to it.

I'll be running a mile (9 laps) on my school's field on Wednesday because it's an annual physical fitness thing. I'm supposed to run within 12 minutes, and I always do, but I still get really freaked out by it. What should I do? (I know I shouldn't drink a lot of water right before, nor should I start running like crazy the day before.) I've already practiced running a mile, but I'm still really tense about it. I sort of have a pattern on what I should do for each lap around the field, too, so tell me if this sounds like a good plan:

First Lap: Walk

Second and Third Lap: Run

Forth Lap: Walk

Fifth and Sixth Lap: Run

Seventh Lap: Walk

Eighth and Ninth (Last) Lap: Run

You can tell how stressed I am by this just by noticing that I had to make a plan and beg you guys for help. :3 It doesn't go on my grade, but I really want to do good on this. Like, really great. I don't want to be known as the girl who almost passed out and had to go home in 6th grade after running the mile. If I do really well this last year, I'll know I'll finally be at peace with it.

But yeah, if you have any tips that will help in the next few days (or _day, _should I say since I'll most likely be running on Wednesday). If it's no problem to you guys.

_Anyways_…

Hope you enjoyed that non-cliffy chapter. Actually, I was planning to put one there, but I decided that there just wasn't enough time. I just got back from Orlando, and there are still a few things to do for school.

Thanks for the comments and favorites and reading, you guys! Hopefully you'll all see another all-week-update next year! :D But for now, see you guys this weekend!

~Lara


	38. Chapter 38:

**A/N.**Thanks for all the help on the mile advice, you guys. Not as good as last year's time, but I made it under twelve minutes thanks to you guys.

How I've Been? Stressed. Stressed a lot. But mostly sad. And the Demands and Whining and Complaining -It's what I've been hearing over the week from some reviewers. I really want to be mad at some people, I Really want to, but I can't force myself to be so. One of the reasons is because this chapter made me smile.

Enjoy.

_Chapter 38: Sariana_

The bell sounded, signaling the end of third period. Immediately I stood up, throwing my backpack over my shoulder, ready to speed-walk to Matt's room. Apparently I wasn't the only one excited for lunch. One of the guys from my class, a junior I didn't really know, jumped up from his seat with a whoop. A few of the other students, myself included, turned to look at him. In his hand was a pickle. I watched in amusement as he quickly slapped it across Daniel's face before bolting out of the room, guffawing with laughter. Daniel made eye contact with me, a horrified look in his eye. I couldn't help but laugh at him.

"Thanks, Daphne!" he called as I headed to the exit.

I waved my hand back at him in response, not wanting to stop and have a conversation with him. If I wasn't headed to the Home Ec classroom, I would've stayed, but I was more excited for lunch. Ariana's mom was a cook that almost rivaled Matt. Almost. Matt was still the best chef.

As I was rounding the corner to the classroom, someone tackle-hugged me, almost knocking me to the floor. It took all the strength I had to keep myself on my shaky feet. Groaning, I attempted to push him off me. "Sage, you're too heavy."

"How did you know it was me?" he complained, releasing me of his crushing weight.

"Not many people would come running and jumping on me."

"Ah, true. You seem very fragile."

I cocked an eyebrow at him. "Seem?"

He grinned, his green eyes twinkling. "We both know how much of a punch you can pack when you try."

"You mean when I get lucky," I corrected, "and I rather not think about those darker times, if you don't mind."

He snorted. "Darker times…"

I pushed open the door to Matt's room without knocking, my eyes immediately searching for him. When they caught sight of him I froze, causing Sage to run into me. "Er…"

Matt's head whipped in my direction, his eyes widening slightly when he saw Sage and myself. I cocked an eyebrow, taking in the scene before me. Ariana was against the chalkboard, Matt holding her there with his hand on her mouth. Wendell was also there, perched on Matt's desk, going through a pile of papers. It was an interesting and bemusing view.

"What are you doing?" Sage demanded, brushing past me, and marching up to Matt. "Get your hands off her."

Matt immediately dropped his hand. "Look, you don't—"

"Are you okay?" Sage asked seriously, facing Ariana.

"I didn't attack her," Matt said flatly, crossing his arms. "She's just wouldn't shut up."

Ariana sniffed, turning her head up at him. "I was just being curious and he suddenly slapped his hand to my mouth!"

"After he told her to stop talking a million times," Wendell added. "Rudely, I have to say."

"Of course I would! You don't ask things like that!"

"Things like what?" I inquired, moving closer to the group. "Ariana… Are you harassing Matt?"

She shrugged innocently. "I was just curious about your relationship…"

Matt scowled. "She asked me if—"

"I don't want to hear it," I said quickly, saving myself from the embarrassment that was sure to come if I heard the questions she asked him. Already I could name three off the top of my head she would surely ask.

Sage patted her on the shoulder. "Good luck. He won't even answer _me_."

"Who would?" Matt snapped at him.

He smiled, moving his hand from Ariana's shoulder to Matt's head. Like he usually did to me, he ruffled Matt's hair. "Too embarrassed to talk about it?"

Matt quickly slapped his hand away. "Sage, just shut up."

I grinned. It was nice seeing Matt together with the other three most important people in my life. He acted much more like himself. Less serious and more like a child. An adorable child. Unfortunately, he caught me grinning at him. I quickly dropped it. "H-hey, Matt."

"I know what you're thinking," he told me flatly. "That I'm like a child?"

My jaw nearly dropped. "Wow! You're good!"

"No, you're just easy to read."

I glared at him. "I am not!"

"Yes you are," Wendell, Sage, Ariana, and Matt chorused.

Grimacing, I let my shoulders sag. "It'd be nice to know at least one of you was on my side."

Wendell hopped off the desk, coming over to me. "I'm on your side, Daphne, but I can not tell a lie…" he trailed off, smirking. "Unlike Firay."

"What are you talking about?" Matt sighed.

"The other Daphne."

"Let's not talk about that," I interjected quickly, shooting Wendell a warning look. "I'm actually really hungry. Ariana, food?"

She nodded eagerly. "Yeah! It's in the supply closet."

"I'll get it," Matt offered, heading toward the adjoining room.

"Me too," I said, hurrying after him. "He might need help carrying it…"

Ariana gave me a knowing look. "Yeah, he's way too weak to carry a cooler all by himself, right?"

Sage snickered as I flushed, slipping into the supply closest. Matt turned on me at once. "Can we kick them out?"

Smiling, I shook my head. "Come on, Matt. It's not bad."

"Yes it is."

"You're enjoying yourself," I told him, putting my hands on my hips. "Whether you think so or not."

He frowned at me. "Why do you think that?"

"You've said it yourself that Sage is your best friend. If you thought he was so irritating, you wouldn't be friends with him," I pointed out. "Also, you've said before you liked my friends, so I don't think you hate Ariana and Wendell."

Looking impressed, he flicked my nose. "Maybe you pay more attention than I give you credit for."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"It means I love you," he responded, quickly kissing me on my forehead. "Now let's get out of here before Sage makes a comment about—"

"Hurry up you two! You can do your lovey-dovey stuff later. I'm hungry!"

Matt narrowed his eyes. "Never mind."

I laughed, leading the way out of the supply room. "Calm down you guys, we come bearing the cooler."

"You guys have to try my churros," Ariana insisted excitedly. "I don't know how long I spent on making them! It was really hard. For some reason no one ate any at the reunion though…"

Wendell and I exchanged worried glances. Ariana wasn't exactly the best cook in the world. It didn't take a rocket genius to guess why no one ate her treats. Ignorant to our wary expressions, Ariana bounded over to the cooler, snatching it from Matt. She set it down and began pulling out copious amounts of foods— sandwiches, salads, chips, deserts, chili, pizza… Finally she pulled out the churros. They were in a small white plastic container. Smiling widely, she took the top off of it and showed us her proud production.

All expression was wiped from our faces. Whatever was in the box surely weren't churros. Frankly, they looked more like charcoaled...things. Ariana looked at each of us expectantly. "Aren't you going to try one?"

"I'll pass," Matt and Wendell replied quickly.

Her face fell. "Oh, okay…"

"I-I'll try one," I said, hesitantly reaching out for one of the alien pastries. It nearly crumbled under my fingers. Everyone watched intently as I brought it to my mouth, taking a tiny bite. Almost at once I spit it out. "Ugh!"

"Daphne!" Ariana cried, highly offended.

"I'm sorry!" I apologized. "It's just… you know you can't cook, Ariana. I can't eat this…"

She frowned. "But I tried so hard…"

"Let me try one," Sage demanded, holding his hand out for the container. "I bet it tastes fine."

Matt sent him an amused look. "You sure?"

"Really?" Ariana responded eagerly, shoving the churros into his hand. "Go ahead! And tell the truth."

Nodding, Sage boldly picked up one of the burnt churros, holding it carefully. "Here I go…

We all watched him intently as be brought it to his lips. To all of our surprise, he popped the entire thing into his mouth with no second thoughts whatsoever. However, his expression betrayed his action. It was screwed up in disgust. Ariana sighed, placing the churros on the closest desk to her. "Thanks for trying it…"

Sage shook his head, swallowing the food in his mouth. He held out his hand. "Give me another."

"Are you crazy?" Wendell questioned. "You might die!"

He ignored Wendell, staring intently at Ariana. "They're not horrible. Why let them go to waste? I think they're fine."

"You don't have to force yourself," she told him, cupping her elbow with her arm. "It's fine. I'm not a good cook anyway."

"Ariana."

With a little shock, I found my heart pounding. Sage was too romantic! My eyes found Matt's and I grinned at him. He just shook his head, letting out an almost inaudible sigh. Those two really were a cute couple. Matt could _not_ deny that now. Sage finally got the container of churros and began eating another one. Although she would deny it, there was a slight tint to Ariana's cheeks.

Wendell noticed this too and hung his head. "Guess I'm the fifth wheel here…"

"Go get a girlfriend."

A smile slowly began to spread across his face. He brushed his blonde bangs away from his face, shooting me a smug look. "Actually, I talked to Anna today."

My heart skipped a beat. "You did? What did she say?"

"I asked her on a date," he replied proudly. "She said yes."

"Only because I turned her down," Sage insisted in a teasing voice.

Ariana's eyes widened. "You did? I thought you liked her?"

"Er… She's not really my type," Sage muttered, shoving another churros into his mouth.

Wendell shook his head at the pair. "Doesn't matter. She said yes to me. That's all that does."

"Actually," Matt spoke up, "she caught Daphne and I kissing today."

"What?" Wendell and Ariana cried, both turning to stare at me. "Daphne!"

I blinked back at them. "What? Why the accusing looks? It was Matt! He—"

"Daphne just could _not_ keep her hands off me this morning," Matt interjected, collapsing into his chair at his desk. "We were late. She wouldn't let me go until I kissed her and when I did, she still wouldn't let me leave."

Wendell shook his head disapprovingly at me. "Daphne, Daphne…"

"That wasn't what happened!"

Sage looked impressed. "Taking the lead, eh?"

Exasperated, I threw my arms up. "No! He made me kiss him!"

"Made makes it sound like I forced you," Matt said, frowning. "That wasn't the case."

"Argh! Whatever! The main point is Anna saw us."

"What did she say?" Sage questioned. "I'm going to take it as she isn't telling anyone because you two are still here."

Matt nodded. "She said she wouldn't tell, but I don't know…"

"She seems kind of… featherbrained," Ariana added, snatching one of the sandwiches from the cooler of the desk she placed them on. "She's nice, but kind of…"

"Hoe-ish?" Matt guessed.

"She's not!" Wendell cried in denial.

I scratched my arm, biting my lip. As much as I wanted to deny it, Anna was a little… flirty. Although she really did seem sincere earlier. "I don't think she'll tell," I stated. "There's a difference between boys and secrets."

"She's never actually done anything bad to us either," Sage pointed out.

"Except getting you drunk," Ariana countered.

"How did you know about that?"

I waved my arm at him. "Guilty. Sorry. You're a funny drunk. I had to tell someone."

He scowled at me. "Thanks, Daphne."

"Haha, anyway," I started, adverting my gaze from him. "Just so you know. Keep an ear out, okay?"

"Definitely," Ariana and Wendell agreed.

"I'm going to have a sandwich now," I announced, examining the different sandwiches on the table. After a moment I decided on a tuna sandwich with lettuce and tomato. "Matt, do you want one?"

"Same as you're having."

I grabbed another one and brought it over to his desk. In one swift motion, he had his arm around my waist and pulled me down onto his lap. My face immediately heated up. When we were alone I didn't mind this, but in front of the other three? I tried to scramble off his lap, but he held me down.

"Aww," Ariana cooed, her eyes twinkling in amusement, much like Sage's did. "You guys are adorable."

"W-what if someone walks in?" I mumbled, trying to ignore Ariana's comments.

"The door's locked," he responded simply.

I narrowed my eyes accusingly at him, but let it drop. Ariana and Wendell were my friends. It shouldn't be weird to be comfortable with Matt with them in the room. If we ever got married, they would be visiting a lot and… I shook my head. Marriage? I was thinking way too far into the future.

Matt opened my sandwich for me, placing it in my hand before starting on his own. The room slowly fell into silence as all of us began to eat our lunch. Time was moving by fast. Soon fourth period would be starting, which meant students in the classroom. Resisting the urge to sigh, I nibbled on my sandwich. I just wanted to graduate. I wanted to have a public relationship with Matt. Sure, the taboo of it was fun, but I wanted to go out in public with him and hold his hand.

And I just wanted to be done with high school.

"Two months," Matt stated suddenly, his arm tightening around my waist.

"W-what?" I responded, startled. Had I been thinking out loud again?

He shook his head. "Nothing. Just thinking out loud."

I smiled. It was nice to know we were thinking about the same thing. Sage must've guessed it too because he grinned at us.

"Oh!" I cried suddenly.

"What?" Matt demanded, surveying the room on instinct. "What is it?"

"I forgot to tell the others!" I told him, glancing at him before turning to Ariana, Sage, and Wendell. "Make sure to go visit Jackson in the hospital!"

They all cocked an eyebrow.

"He wants to apologize to you."

Now all their eyes widened.

"What?"

"Why?"

"How?"

"You're crazy."

I winced at Wendell's last remark. "I'm not crazy. We did some talking. He's willing to apologize for what he's done."

"By talking, do you actually mean whipping?" Sage questioned, crossing his arms. "He wants to apologize?"

"Yes," I told him, frowning. "I'm serious. He's already said he's sorry to Matt and I and it was really sincere."

Matt agreed reluctantly. "It was."

"What exactly did you say to him?" Sage inquired, furrowing his eyebrows together.

I placed a finger on my lips. "Secret."

"That's no fair!" Ariana pouted. "I want to know!"

"Nope."

"Ah, Ariana, you have a little something here..." Sage reached over and brushed his finger at the edge of her lips. "Mustard."

My mouth fell open and I turned to Matt, unable to form a word. He just flicked me in the nose. "Don't even say it. He definitely took that move from a movie."

"They're so cute," I gushed in a whisper. "They're cuter than us!"

"No one is cuter than us," Matt disagreed. "Well… at least cuter than me."

"Hey!"

He chuckled. "I'm kidding. You're cute too. You're a lot cuter than me. In fact, you're cuter than kittens."

Now it was my turn to roll my eyes. "Okay, now you're forcing yourself."

He flashed me a handsome smile. "If it's for you I will."

Wendell suddenly banged his head against his desk. "I need a girlfriend!"

There was a moment of silence before everyone in the room, aside from him, started to laugh. He just scowled back at us. Fate seemed to be on his side, because the bell rang before any of us could make a comment. I promptly hopped off of Matt's lap, putting a safe distance between us. The corners of his lips turned down the tiniest bit, but he said nothing.

"Ah! I have to pack all this food and make it to my next class!" Ariana exclaimed, quickly scrambling to put all the food back in the cooler.

"I've got it," Sage told her, pushing her away. "You can head to class."

She beamed at him. "Thanks! You're a lifesaver!"

"You owe me now," he responded, mussing with her hair. "See you in gym."

"Okay! Bye guys!" she called, waving and heading for the door.

"Time for Home Ec," Matt declared, balling his trash up and shooting it into the wastebasket. His eyes met mine and he smiled evilly. "Did you do your homework, Daphne?"

My body froze. Fudgecakes.

"Ah, the third time in a row," he started teasingly. "I think that deserves a detention."

"Matt!"

"Tomorrow, after school."

I glowered at him. He was really unbelievable.

"We'll go get ice cream."

His response threw me off guard. When his words finally registered, I laughed. "You're an awful teacher."

He winked. "I know."

"But I love you."

"I love you too."

"Hey," Wendell interjected. "I'm still present. I don't want to hear this sappy crap."

Safe clapped him on the shoulder. "Good luck getting a girlfriend then, bud."

The door opened and Daniel came marching in. "Hello!" he greeted brightly.

"Hi," we all responded at once.

He blinked at us, but shrugged it off, heading for his seat. I followed suit, sitting at my normal spot. It was time to go back to just being student and teacher. Matt's eyes met mine and he grinned a little bit.

Well. _Almost_ just student and teacher.

**A/N. **Goodnight and hope you all enjoyed the chapter.

-Lara


	39. Chapter 39:

**A/N. **Hi there, everyone!

Sorry if I scared anyone with the "Hiatus Probability" thing. I realized it wasn't really a hiatus since I was only gone for a week (like normal). I called it a hiatus because I had ITBS last week –reason why I wrote hiatus- but I thought it was going to stretch to this week also, but turns out, it's not…I probably just confused everybody. **Long story short: Hiatus is over**, everyone calm down. :D

**Samantha Louise: **OH MY! I would _never _want you to do that! And it's not your fault! It was sort of a mix of everything _blargh_ happening back then (I'm back to normal for now :3)! Seriously, please don't stop reviewing unless you want to. An incident like this happened earlier when BCC was started and I felt really bad for quite some time. Absolutely horrible. So please, don't stop reviewing (I mean, only if you want to; it's totally up to you!)

So, _**To Everyone:**_I'm deeply, absolutely sorry for my volatile behavior these past few months! I'm going to try and make my A/N's less personal (starting next week) as to not stress anyone more for the duration of BCC.

By the way, we have about 10 chapters left of BCC! :D

Whoa, calm down. We have about 10 _chapters_. Most likely, I'll be adding some one-shots (some of Jordan's and some of my own), and maybe a short story on Daphne's senior week (they go camping and roller skating and school lock-downing). And of course, an epilogue if that's what you want. So FEAR NOT! I'm hoping to finish this by the time my graduation rolls in (which is about ten weeks from now ohmygawsh), and maybe go a little bit into the summer like I did for FTFT.

New QotU: Do you use a comb or a brush for your hair? I use combs most of the time, but if I can't find one, brushes will do just fine for my hair. :D

Enjoy!

* * *

_Chapter 39: Wendell_

My nose wrinkled up in disgust as I entered the hospital, the putrid smell stinking up the air. All that medical cleanliness mixed together really left an unmistakable scent in the air. To make it worse, it was pouring rain outside, so that scent mingled into it as well.

"If you don't like it, why are we here?" Matt demanded moodily, doing his best to ignore the receptionist that was definitely checking him out.

"I told you, Matt," I responded, rounding on him with a frown and my hands on my hips. "Jackson's practically helpless in that bed. Even if it's in a public place like a hospital, Bryant could somehow get to him."

Matt turned his nose up at me. "It's not our business."

"Stop being a brat."

"Coming from someone five years younger than me."

"Four and some months," I corrected stubbornly. "And just so you know, you saying that makes you sound like an old man."

He scowled, slowly advancing on me. "You little…"

Laughing, I ducked under his outstretched arms and jogged over to the receptionist, who gave me the impression she'd realized Matt wasn't free. "We're here to see Jackson Tomber," I told her, pointing back at Matt. "Daphne Grimm and Matt Firay."

"Okay, I'll just need you to sign in," she responded, pushing a clipboard toward me. "Please remember visiting hours close at four today."

"Really?" I said brightly. That meant we only had to be here for two hours before it was safe to leave!

Grumbling under his breath, Matt signed the paper before handing me the pen he was using. Carelessly, I scribbled down my name. It was barely readable, but I could care less. They never checked the papers anyway. After we received the O.K to head up to his room, I grabbed Matt's hand and led the way.

"Now be nice," I ordered in a scolding tone, holding my finger to his face.

He rolled his eyes, pushing my hand away. "Stop treating me like a child."

"I'm doing it so you don't act like one."

"You know why I do it, Daphne."

My hard expression softened and I gave his hand a squeeze. "I know, but you can't keep a grudge forever."

"It won't be for forever," he replied, shaking his head. "Just until I feel like he's made everything up to you. Although, it will take a while. There's nothing he can do to make up for the words those… girls said to you," he finished, obviously omitting a vulgar word and using _girls_ instead.

I stood on my tiptoes so I could give him a quick kiss on the lips. "Thank you, Matt."

He waved his hand in dismissal, immediately turning his head away from me. "You don't need to thank me."

Brushing my bangs out of my face, I turned back to Jackson's room and knocked before opening the door. "Hello!" I chirped cheerfully.

"Daphne! Hi!"

I blinked, my eyes snapping to Jackson. He just stared blankly at me. His expression didn't match the sound of his voice…

"Over here!"

I turned my head, my gaze now landing on Anna. She grinned and waved. "What are you doing here?" I inquired, furrowing my eyebrows. "I thought you were going on a date with Wendell today…?"

"I am," she told me, gesturing toward her outfit. Even though it was just a simple light blue tunic and black leggings, she made it look stunning. Of course. "I just came to see Jackson for a little bit. It's lonely at home by myself."

I frowned now. Wendell had texted me an hour ago saying he was leaving for his date with her. "When were you two supposed to meet?"

She cocked her head to the side. "Hmm, around one."

"Anna! It's two now!"

"So?"

I gaped at her. "So? What do you mean so?"

"If he really cares about me, he'll wait."

Was she being serious? By the expression on her face I could tell she was. I turned around to give a look of disbelief to Matt, only to see he wasn't there. Confusion swirled in my mind and I returned my attention to Anna, who was smiling at me again. "Wait, wait," I started, shaking my head to clear my thoughts. "Where were you supposed to meet him?"

"The park."

"Anna!"

"What?" she asked, her eyes widening in surprise at my tone.

"It's raining!" I told her angrily. "You're making him wait out in the _rain?_"

Jackson smirked from his bed. "I told you, Daphne—"

"Shut up, Jackson," I snapped, my eyes flickering to him for a moment before narrowing at Anna. "What are you thinking, Anna? If you told him you were going to meet him an hour ago, you should be there! Not here!"

"I don't see the problem," she responded, crossing her arms. "I'm just seeing how long he'll wait for me."

"That's not right!" I cried. She would not get away with doing that to my best friend! "Wendell is my best friend! He really cares about you and I've been supporting him all along! I thought you were better than that!"

She gazed at me thoughtfully. "He told you he cares about me?"

"You have no idea how excited he was about this date," I informed her, clenching my fists. "He has literally been talking about it all week! And now you're making him wait in the rain for you? I can't believe you! He doesn't deserve that! Call him and tell him you're not coming!"

"I hardly doubt he's there," she said in an offhand voice.

I narrowed my eyes. "He's there."

"How do you know?"

"Because I was the one who he came to when he wanted to talk about you!" I retorted, clenching my jaw. "He's definitely there. Waiting for you to come. How do you feel, Anna? Does it make you feel better to know a poor guy is twisted around your finger so much as to the point he'll wait in the rain for you? Tell him you're not coming. Right now."

"But—"

"No buts! You can play around with any other guy you want, but _not_ my best friend!" I interjected, doing my best to control my anger before I slapped her across the face. My shoulders were shaking with angry breaths. Wendell didn't deserve this! He really cared about her!

"I told you she was a whore," Jackson commented tauntingly in the background.

I didn't disagree this time. It was different when it came to my best friend. I couldn't overlook this. It wasn't right! He was so excited! A lump formed in my throat, but I forcefully swallowed it back.

Slowly, Anna took out her phone. To me, it looked like she was on the verge of tears. I watched as she dialed on the keypad before putting it to her ear. After a few seconds of silence an incoherent voice was heard on the other end. "Wendell?" she started, her voice scratchy.

I held my breath, trying to listen. Unfortunately I couldn't hear what was being said on the other side of the phone. However, it seemed to shock Anna. Her eyes were as round as saucers.

"N-no, I'm okay," she told him quietly, her eyes dropping to the floor. "Yeah, I'm fine. Nothing happened. Where are you?"

Another moment of silence.

Anna took a sharp inhale of breath. "In the rain?" she cried. "Why? Why didn't you leave? Or go back inside?"

Feeling a little smug, I lifted up my head. I mean, it was a bad thing Wendell waited the whole time, but at least I knew my best friend.

"No! No! I'm coming," Anna notified him, shuffling from her spot in the corner of the room over to the chair by me where her jacket was. "Yeah, I'm on my way."

"Anna," I started in a disapproving voice. She was supposed to be telling him she wasn't going. Not that she was.

Her eyes met mine and she sent me an apologetic look. "I'm sorry," she apologized, her eyes smoldering. After a moment she broke her gaze away from mine. "I'm really sorry, Wendell. I'm leaving now. Yeah. Don't worry about it. It's my fault. I'm sorry. Dinner's on me. I'll see you soon."

I shifted uncomfortably, watching as she hung up her phone. "What are you doing?" I demanded.

"I'm sorry, Daphne, I didn't expect him to wait for me," she began, shaking her head. "In the rain, too! And you know what he asked me when I called? _If I was okay!_ Me! When he's the one standing in the rain waiting for me!"

"Yeah, that's just the type of person Wendell is," I responded irritated. "He's also the type to be stupid enough to not care about this matter and will overlook it if you do it again, too."

She shook her head vigorously. "It won't happen again!"

"Can I trust you?"

"Please," she begged. "You're the only one who's ever stood up for me, Daphne. I get it. I get it now. I don't like being called a whore. I'll stop! I won't do it again!"

"She'll do it again," Jackson cut in.

"I won't!" she cried in denial. "I won't! Please don't think of me that way, Daphne."

For a few moments I was silent. "Wendell likes _Reese's Cups_," I finally stated.

She blinked at me. "What?"

"Wendell. He likes _Reese's Cups_. A lot."

"I…"

"One time I accidentally got gum in his hair," I told her, smiling at the memory. "You know what I got him in order to get him to forgive me?"

She frowned. "_Reese's Cups_."

I nodded. "Yeah."

"Oh!" she gasped in realization. "Okay! _Reese's Cups_? Thanks!" Without warning, she tackled me into a hug, squeezing me roughly. "I'll make this up to you, I promise!"

"Make it up to Wendell," I wheezed. "I can't breathe."

Grinning sheepishly, she let me go. "Sorry! I've gotta go now! See you guys later! Bye, Jackson!"

"Later," he grunted.

As soon as she was out of the room and the door was closed, I let out a sigh. "She's a handful."

"Where's your trusty steed?" Jackson questioned. "Doesn't he follow you everywhere?"

"Are you talking about Matt?" I responded, cocking an eyebrow. "Trusty steed? What?"

He gave me a flat look. "Yes, Mr. Firay. Where is he?"

"He was here before," I told him, frowning. "Maybe he went to the vending machines to get M&Ms or something."

As if on cue, the door opened and in waltzed Matt, a package of M&Ms in hand. Both Jackson and I exchanged startled glances before I started laughing and he smirked. Matt eyed us warily. "What?"

"Where'd you go?"

"Well Anna was in here and I thought it'd be a bad idea…" he trailed off, shooting a brief look at Jackson. "She might get the wrong idea," he finished carefully.

Jackson rolled his eyes. "She's stupider than me. If I know nothing is going on, she'll think that too."

At that moment I kind of felt bad for the poor bloke. He didn't know it, but he'd basically just insulted himself. While I managed to contain anything that would make me look amused, Matt smirked. This didn't go unnoticed by Jackson.

"What?" he demanded.

Matt shrugged. "Nothing."

"It's obviously something!"

"You just look good in white."

I gaped at Matt before turning back to Jackson, who was giving him the death glare. Did he know? There was no way he could know! I shot a look at Jackson, trying to silently tell him I didn't tell Matt. Jackson didn't seem to notice. "Don't make fun of me!"

"I'm not," he responded nonchalantly.

"Matt," I started in a warning tone.

He smirked again.

I sighed. "Sorry, Jackson. Just ignore him. Sometimes he gets his kicks by acting like a five year old."

"Yeah, really shows his true age," Jackson agreed sharply.

"At least I'm past the point of hitting girls."

I ran a hand over my face. Maybe having these two in the same room wasn't such a great idea.

"You're so annoying!" Jackson snapped, sitting up in his bed. "_Ow!_ _Damn it!_"

Matt chuckled evilly. "Don't disrespect your elders."

"I'll do what I want! And tell Mr. Ross to stop coming by! He's as annoying as hell! He never shuts up!"

"We're just trying to help," I told him, frowning. "I know Sage is as little… out there, but you'll have to put up with him."

"Out there?" he repeated skeptically. "He's from planet Idiot!"

Matt nodded. "I have to agree with you there."

"He's not that bad," I protested, but a smile was slipping onto my face anyway. "He did tell me you gave him a pretty convincing apology."

"That's because he threatened to… Never mind."

Now I was interested. "Wait, tell us. What did he threaten?"

"Nothing!" Jackson said, looking away from me. "Shut up. You're annoying. Go away."

"I'll be here for the next two hours," I informed him, dragging the chair that was behind me closer to his bed. "You can tell me when you feel like it."

He jutted his chin. "I won't tell."

"So have you gotten any text messages or anything?" I asked, deciding to change the topic. "Or have you heard from Bryant at all?"

"No," he replied in a hard voice. "I don't care either."

I frowned a little bit. Jackson still felt hurt? A week had already passed…Well, I guess without being apologized to, the feelings would linger. "Aside from James, do you know anyone else that's out of jail?"

"There's this one other guy, Ronnie, but I don't think you know him—"

"I know him," Matt interjected, crossing his arms. "I haven't heard that name in a while though. I thought he moved to Europe."

"How do you know him?"

Inside, I panicked a little. That was right. Jackson didn't know about Matt being in a gang. "H-he knows him from—"

"I used to be in the same gang," Matt said, frowning. "Bryant must have told you I was a part of the gang."

"He didn't."

"He didn't?" I repeated in surprise.

Jackson clenched his fists. "Apparently he didn't tell me a lot. How long were you in the gang for?"

"Long enough," Matt told him vaguely. "Bryant's always hated me."

"I thought you two were just rivals in high school or something," he admitted. Suddenly his eyes widened in realization. "Don't tell me…"

"Gang leader, yep," Matt cut in nonchalantly, checking out his fingernails. "Now that I told you that, tell me something."

"What?"

"I saw myself that James was in jail," he started. "Daphne saw it too. It was in the news. Remember, Daphne?"

My jaw nearly dropped. "Wait! You're right! How is that possible if he was the one who attacked Jackson?"

"If you're trying to say I _lied_—"

Matt shook his head. "No, I believe you. I'm just saying something's wrong here. How did James avoid going to jail?"

"Well there was no picture," I pointed out.

"You still need to show identification."

Jackson sunk into his bed with a harsh exhale. "Bryant's somehow abnormal."

"Everything about him is abnormal," I corrected, feeling uncomfortable. "We have to be really careful. Maybe James has a brother… Oh. Oh no."

"Oh no?" the boys echoed.

"Let's just say James does have a brother and that's who went to jail," I began, swallowing nervously. "That shows that Bryant doesn't care if he uses the family of those people involved…"

Realization dawned in Jackson's eyes. He shot up immediately, clenching his fists. "_Ow!_ Come on!"

Matt snorted.

"Be serious, Matt," I scolded. "Think about it."

"He'd go after Anna," Jackson stated angrily.

It made me happy that he sounded upset. That just proved that even if he acted like he didn't care about his sister, he secretly did.

"But why would he go after her?"

"I'm not saying he _will_," I responded, scratching my neck. "I'm just thinking. If he has some reason to, that just means he won't hesitate in going after her…" Unsettled, I glanced out the window, where the rain was pouring. Wendell had been shot on a day like this.

Without warning, a hand landed on my shoulder. I jumped, turning my head up to see Matt gazing down at me with a small smile. "Don't look so worried. Nothing will happen."

Remembering Jackson was still in the room, all I could do was nod my head. "I'm not," I lied.

"You can't lie to me," he said with a grin.

"It's been a while since I've heard that one," I commented with a laugh.

He ruffled my hair. "I know."

Jackson cleared his throat. "I'm still here."

"Wow, you and Wendell are a lot alike," I remarked, amused.

Matt removed his hand from my shoulder, much to my disappointment. "I agree."

"Can…" Jackson suddenly spoke up, his voice low.

"Huh?"

"Can," he tried again, obviously having difficulty in speaking. It looked like he was trying to force the words out. "Do me a favor," he finally burst.

Matt straightened up. "It depends."

"It's not for me."

"Who then?"

"Anna," he muttered. "Will you keep an eye on her?"

It took all I had not to 'aw' at him. "Of course," I told him professionally, nodding my head. "Since you obviously care about her _so_ much!"

He flushed a bright red. "S-shut up!"

"Look! You're blushing! It's so cute!"

"I said shut up!"

"Matt! Matt! See?"

He smirked, cocking an eyebrow at Jackson. "How interesting…"

"You guys are so irritating!" he cried, blushing darker. "S-stop treating me like a puppy!"

"Puppy?" I repeated blankly.

"Yeah!"

I nodded my head, impressed. "That's a good way to describe you! Thanks, Jackson!"

"That wasn't— ugh! Don't thank me!"

I laughed. He was surprisingly fun to tease. When I went to grin evilly at Matt, I found him with his devil look, his eyes locked to Jackson. Immediately chills went through my body. That was the way he used to look at me when he teased me. Back when he was a lying, devil of a teacher.

Giving Jackson a pitying look, I patted his knee. "You'll be fine."

"What's that supposed to mean?" he demanded. "Daphne?"

"It's better if you don't know."

"Daphne!"

* * *

**A/N.** Wendell is so adorable. Waiting in the rain, being worried about Anna…I'm sure Anna's going to be treating Wendell better from now on. I was thinking of pairing names for them during this chapter. Haha, I actually forgot Anna's name was…well, Anna. I thought it was Lexi (Jordan's version), so I thought her pairing name with Wendell was Wendexi (you know, like Winn-Dixie?), but Wendanna (like a bandana) works fine, too.

**I will be starting to reply to signed in reviewers via PM now. I realize how annoy it must be to look for your name through the mass of review replies. :3 And to anons, I will reply to you guys normally starting next week. I'm short on time today, so sorry about that. :3 **

Welp, I've got to go memorize a script I whipped up in three days and practice for my speech in English class, so, see you all this weekend!

~Lara


	40. Chapter 40:

**A/N. **Hi, guys! I hope you're all having a wonderful day! I heard some of you are on Spring Break, so yay for those of you that do! :D

**QotU Winner:** Curlscat, because I can relate quite well.

**New QotU:** Pick a BCC/FTFT character to spend the day with, and tell me how your day went in a small paragraph. Did you go shopping with Bryant? Watch wrestling movies with Granny Relda (yes, the regular SG characters apply to this also)? Participate in the No Pants Subway Ride mission with Sage and Ariana? I'm quite interested to read these! :D

WOW! Chapter 40 already! This is exciting. **Just note**–this chapter is going to seem completely different from the previous, where Jackson, Matt, and Daphne are in the hospital. So **if it seems like you've skipped a chapter, you didn't.** I checked with Jordan and she said this one comes right after the last one, so I just wanted to let you all know!

Enjoy!

* * *

_Chapter 40: Park_

"Daphne. Daphne..."

Someone started shaking my shoulders.

"Daphne, wake up."

I groaned, shoving the person's hands away, and yanking the covers over my head. It was Sunday, which meant I could sleep in as late as I wanted. Why was someone at my house so early anyway? The sudden depression of my mattress by my waist told me the person had sat down on it. Ignoring it, I tried to fall asleep again.

"Get up."

I grunted in response.

"You're really not a morning person, are you? How late did you go to bed last night anyway?"

Even though I didn't want to, my mind thought back to the time I'd gone to bed. Matt had called around ten and we'd talked for about three hours… Then spent another hour texting. That meant I'd gone to bed at two.

"It's already one in the afternoon."

My eyes shot open in surprise. "What?" I cried, throwing the covers off my face, my gaze snapping to the window. Instead of seeing sunlight, like I'd expected, I saw darkness.

A low chuckle met my ears. "I knew that'd get you up."

Confused, I slowly pushed myself into a sitting position, my eyes falling upon the person I was least expecting. "Matt!"

"Morning, sleeping beauty," he greeted teasingly, leaning forward to give me a quick kiss on the forehead. "You look cute with bed head."

"W-what are you doing here?" I demanded, raking a hand through my hair quickly, and hoping it didn't look too bad.

He smirked at me. "We're going on a date today."

"A date?" I repeated. "But what about Jack—"

A finger was instantly pressed against my lips. "Don't even mention his name. Sage and Ariana have him covered today. Wendell is also with Anna; so from this point on, don't mention them. Okay?"

Unable to speak, I just nodded my head.

"Good. Now out of bed."

Blindly obeying his orders, I slid out of bed, forgetting that I was only in a t-shirt and my underwear. The cold air made it clear I was underdressed. A blush came across my face and I grabbed the blanket off my bed so I could wrap myself up with it. Matt chuckled again as I glowered at him. "Stop laughing!"

"I thought only guys slept in their underwear," he told me, his blue eyes flickering in amusement.

"Guess not."

He flicked my nose. "You have twenty minutes to take a shower and get ready. Breakfast will be on the table when you come down."

"What?"

"Go, go," he shooed, pushing on my back a bit more roughly than he probably expected to.

My foot slipped on the blanket under it and I nearly went crashing to the floor. He somehow managed to get an arm around to stop me in time though. "Forget to turn off your super strength?" I inquired as I regained my balance.

He grinned. "Super strength?"

"Don't let that go to your head," I said, shaking my head at him. "What time is it? Why are you here? How come you're waking me up so early when you're the reason I stayed up so late?"

"No questions. Now move."

"Matt—"

Grabbing my shoulders, he steered me to the bathroom. "Just so you know, since you are my girlfriend, I won't have a problem helping you into the shower if you don't do it yourself."

"Get out!" I demanded, somehow managing to control my blush, and turning around to slap him on the arm. "It's too early for you to make jokes like that!"

"It's not too early to make you blush, Daphne."

"I won't shower until you leave."

Letting out a fake sigh, he slowly trudged out of the bathroom. "You know, one day, we'll be showering together."

I puffed my chest out. "And until that day comes, I shower alone."

"You're no fun to tease unless you have good reactions."

"It's too early, Matt," I repeated, rubbing my eyes. The clock read 5:30 AM. "Go start breakfast. Where's my parents?"

He shrugged. "I let myself in."

"How…?"

"Secret," he responded, another self-satisfied smile on his face. "Fifteen minutes, Daphne."

"What? But—"

"Better hurry."

Irritated, I slammed the bathroom door as soon as he stepped out of the room. Now really wasn't a good time for his pushy ways. Grumbling under my breath, I turned on the shower and easily stripped off my scant clothing. Just as I was about to enter the shower, there was a knock on the bathroom door. I nearly killed myself trying to make it to the door before it could open. "What?" I asked as politely as I could.

"Towel?" Matt responded.

Opening the door a sliver, I stuck my hand out through it, reaching for the towel. "Thank you."

"No problem."

My shower went by speedily— mostly due to the fact I thought Matt was going to walk in on me purposely. By the time I was finished, I was wide awake and feeling a little less cranky. Unsure of what he planned to do today, I threw on a pair of light colored skinny-boot leg jeans and a black, V-neck sweater. After slipping on a pair of black flats I grabbed my wallet and exited my room, stopping by the bathroom for a few moments to throw on some light makeup and perfume.

"Something smells good," I commented as I waltzed into the kitchen.

"Someone looks good."

I glanced at Matt, noticing him eyeing my outfit with an impressed look. Tugging at the bottom of my sweater, I smiled shyly. "Thanks. You don't look half bad yourself. I like the plaid on you."

He nodded in agreement, grinning as he looked over himself. "I figured since you like it so much, you'd like it on me."

Between the two of us, it was easy to tell he pulled off plaid better. In the dark of my room, I hadn't been able to make out him too clearly. Now that we were in the brightly lit up kitchen, he was crystal clear. His outfit today was the most casual I'd ever seen, making him look five years younger— straight leg jeans and a black and white plaid shirt. If I hadn't known better, I would have thought he was a normal high school student.

"Breakfast is on the table," he informed me, nodding to the table that was covered in pancakes, eggs, bacon, and sausage. "Let's hurry and eat."

Taking a seat across from him at the table, I pulled four pancakes and two eggs onto my plate. "What are we doing today? Why do we have to leave so early?"

"I told you, a date."

"But what are we doing?"

He frowned. "I don't want to spoil it."

"Tell me," I urged, giving him my best puppy-dog expression while getting a sausage and two pieces of bacon. What can I say? I have a good appetite.

Rolling his eyes, he shook his head at me while grinning again. "How many times do you I have to tell you that look doesn't work on me?"

"If you don't tell me I won't eat."

"Don't be a kid."

"Don't be a… a…"

With an evil look, he tilted his head to the side. "A what, Daphne?"

Scowling, I banged my fist on the table. "Just tell me, Matt!"

"Fine. We're going to Six Flags."

"Six Flags…?"

"That's what I said."

"The theme park?" I double-checked. "With old man Mr. Six?"

He nodded. "That's the one."

My stomach dropped in my gut. "But Matt… _everyone_ goes there. There's no way we can go together…"

"That's why we're going to New Massachusetts."

"Massachusetts?" I repeated, nearly choking on my spit. "Are you crazy?" He sure seemed crazy. We were driving all the way to Massachusetts just to go to Six Flags?

He pointed toward the food on my plate. "Eat. And no I'm not crazy. I asked Ariana what you like to do, and she mentioned Six Flags, so I decided I'd take you there. That's why we have to leave early."

"Why though?" I questioned, unable to tear my gaze away from his serious face. What made him suddenly want to do this?

Unexpectedly, an embarrassed expression crossed his face, and he stared down at his plate of food, shoving a piece of bacon into his mouth. "No reason."

"Don't talk with your mouth full."

"Okay, _Mom_."

"Matt, really. Why?"

He swallowed his food and gaze me a piercing stare. "Why? Because you've been ignoring me lately in favor for Jackson or Anna."

My eyes widened. "What? I have not—"

"Don't deny it."

"We hang out all the time! And you're always with me when we visit Jackson!" I protested.

He gave me a flat look. "For the past week, we've only been going to see Jackson. There hasn't been any alone time for us, Daphne. I want some alone time. I want to take you on a date and not spoil it like last time. I want you to enjoy a day where you can be a normal high schooler in a relationship with a normal guy, not your teacher."

Surprised by his honest words, it took me a moment in order to form a coherent reply. "Oh, um, okay." I wanted to smack myself. What was with that lame response? He'd said something unexpectedly sweet, and that's all I could think of?

"You have a way with words, Daphne," he mentioned sarcastically, seeming a little too full of himself.

"You took me by surprise!" I snapped. "But I'm going to admit you're right," I continued with a frown. "I'm sorry, Matt. I didn't realize you were feeling ignored."

"I wasn't feeling ignored, just put on the back burner," he corrected me. "Which a normal person wouldn't mind considering the situation, but you should already know I'm not a normal person. As I said before, I'm—"

"A selfish man," I quoted, smiling from the memory. "That's okay. It just makes me feel more loved."

He reached his hand across the table and put it on mine. "Good. I don't want to seem like the overbearing boyfriend."

"And I don't want to be the uncaring girlfriend, so we're equal," I told him, putting my hand palm up so we could link fingers. "Now, let's finish eating so we can leave."

Chuckling, he used his free hand to pick up his fork, awkwardly trying to feed himself. I laughed, gripping his left hand tighter so he couldn't take it back to use it. Luckily for me, my right hand was my dominant hand, so I could eat easily.

"For someone so cranky this morning, you sure are cheerful now."

"You know I'm not a morning person."

He gave me a half-smile. "I'm sorry to say you won't be able to sleep in too late tomorrow either."

I cocked my head to the side. "Eh? Why not? Don't we have the day off from school for one of those PTA things?"

"Yes, but we have to be out of the hotel by noon."

It took a second for his words to register. "Hotel?" I gasped. "What? We're staying in a hotel? Overnight?"

"That's what I said."

"I haven't even asked my parents!"

He laughed, squeezing my hand. "I already told them yesterday. How do you think I got in here this morning? It's not like I have my own key. Your mom let me borrow the extra so I didn't wake them up –whether or not your dad knows about that, I don't know."

"I should have known," I sighed. "You and my mom always plot behind my back. Does the hotel have a pool?"

"Yep," he said casually, examining the burnt piece of bacon in his hand he'd picked up. "I suggest grabbing your bathing suit. It's not every day you get to go swimming near the end of March."

New excitement bubbled up inside of me and I grinned widely. "It feels like it's my birthday. We get to go swimming, go to Six Flags, and stay at a hotel. And to top things off we can be a normal couple!"

"I can't wait to hear you scream," he commented, his eyes lighting up.

My face darkened. "W-what?"

He cocked an eyebrow. "On the roller coasters. What were you thinking? Hmm?"

"Nothing!"

"Naughty girl," he teased, pulling his hand away from mine. "I'm not sure if I can sleep in the same bed as you…"

I glowered at him. "Shut up!"

He laughed. "Okay, okay. Enough talking. Finish eating, and then grab your bathing suit and a spare pair of clothing. And a toothbrush."

"Okay," I mumbled, scooping up a spoonful of eggs, and shoving it into my mouth.

"Something smells good!"

Both Matt and I turned toward the door, where my mom was standing. Her hair was messy, and it looked like she forgot to take off her makeup from yesterday. She beamed at us, heading toward the table. "Daphne, are you finished?"

"Yeah, here," I said hastily, pushing my plate over to her. "I'm going to grab some clothes. Be right back!"

As I left the kitchen, I could hear my mom laughing and make a comment about how excited I was. Of course I was excited! Who wouldn't be excited to go on a date with their boyfriend? Especially when it was incredibly hard to do in the first place. It wasn't every day Matt and I got to be normal couple.

Instead of taking time and packing a cute outfit for the day after, I just flew through my drawers, grabbing the first everything I saw and shoving it into my overnight bag. Luckily, I hadn't packed my bathing suit away or anything, so I was able to easily retrieve it from my closet. After that I hurried to the bathroom and snagged my toothbrush, hairbrush, and make up before cramming it in my bag as well. Nearly out of breath, I jogged back down to the kitchen, where my mom and Matt were now chatting casually.

"Ready?" I asked, putting my hands on my hips and trying to catch my breath. "I have everything I need."

Matt nodded, pushing back his chair so that he could stand. "Let's just take care of the dishes—"

"Leave them to me!" my mom chirped. "You guys should leave soon if you want to have a lot of time at the park. It closes early on Sunday, you know."

"Thanks, Mom!" I responded, grabbing Matt's hand and tugging him to the door. "Let's go!"

Snickering at my anxiousness, he allowed me to lead him away from my mom. "Bye, Lynn."

"Bye, Matt! Bye, Daphne! Love you!"

"Love you, too!" I called back. "See you tomorrow! Don't burn down the house! Remember to lock the door when you leave!"

I could imagine my mom rolling her eyes. "Yeah, yeah."

"Who's the mother and who's the daughter again?" Matt commented playfully, nudging me in the shoulder. "Should I be asking your permission to take your mom out?"

"Well she wouldn't refuse you."

He ruffled my hair with his free hand. "Your mom's cute, but I prefer you."

I pushed it away, frowning. "Do you always have to do that? You'll mess up my hair."

"The wind will mess it up anyway."

"The wind?" I repeated.

He smirked, gesturing toward the front door with his hand. "You'll see."

As soon as we stepped outside, my jaw dropped. It was lighter outside now, so I could clearly make out what I was seeing. In my driveway was a convertible Mercedes, not his normal BMW. "Where in the world did you get that? And why?"

"I like to drive places in class," he told me. "So I bought it."

"You bought it?" I cried, my eyes growing as round as saucers. "That's such a waste of money! You already had a fancy car!"

He snorted. "My car isn't fancy."

"Matt!"

"Calm down," he said, waving his hand at me. "I was kidding. I'm only borrowing it. I wouldn't waste my money on something so expensive and unneeded. My car sucks on the highway, so Terry let me borrow this."

"Terry as in the other Daphne's Terry?"

"That's the one."

I stared at the car. "Are they rich?"

"I wouldn't say rich… but he's a pretty renowned doctor."

Shrugging, I started pulling him to the car. "I've always wanted to ride in a convertible. My hair though…"

"Here. I can fix that."

Before I could protest, he'd slipped his hand out of mine and promptly began to fuss up my hair with that one and his other. By the time he was done, it was sticking up everywhere. Smiling wryly, I patted him on the shoulder. "Thank you, Matt."

"Anytime, darling," he responded with a wink, taking my bag from my hands, and then opening the passenger door. "Hop in."

"Ah, chivalry," I sighed, sliding onto the warm leather seats. "For an ex-gangster, you sure can be charming."

He chuckled, climbing into the driver's seat, not bothering to open the door. "Charming just comes with my personality. I managed to get a lot of alcohol from different places when I was still underage."

"I thought you don't like alcohol?"

"But my gang did."

I grinned. "Aw, were you a loving gang leader?"

"To my loyal followers, yes," he told me, starting the engine. "Tell me if you get cold and I'll roll up the windows."

I plucked at my sweatshirt. "I think I'll be okay. You're the one who should roll it up when you get cold."

"I don't get cold."

"Everyone gets cold, Matt."

He ignored me. "Okay, let's get on the road. Put on your seatbelt, Daphne."

"You too," I countered, pulling the belt over my body. "It's more dangerous to drive in one of these. If it flips, we'll probably die."

Instead of replying, he just shook his head at me, quickly snapping his seatbelt. After revving the engine loudly, he peeled out of my driveway, driving much more haphazardly than I was used to. It was at that moment, I realized, that because of this car, he was probably reverting to the way he used to drive while in the gang.

Then we were off.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~*u*~*O*~MATT SLOW DOWN! YOU'RE GOING TO KILL US!~*O*~*u*~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"_Never_ again," I said firmly, barely managing to drag myself out of the convertible. My legs were shaking so bad, I could hardly stand.

"It wasn't that bad, Daphne."

"You were speeding the _whole_ time!"

Matt walked around the car, shutting my door for me and then clicking it locked. "Don't be overdramatic. I only sped on the highway and I was in the speed zone, so it's fine."

I glowered at him. "I thought I was going to die!"

"I wouldn't let you die."

"You could've caused it!"

"If we were in any danger I would've slowed down," he assured me, gently pushing on my shoulder. "Now come on. We've gotta pay our admission."

My eyes went from his handsome face to the theme park we were standing in front of. M&M printed steps led up to the main entrance area. To my pleasant surprise, there didn't seem to be a lot of people around. Maybe it was because the threat of impending rain, judging by the sky.

The ride over had taken a lot longer than I'd expected and it was nearing noontime now. A few dark clouds loomed overhead in the otherwise bright blue sky. I squinted, staring up toward the sun. Hopefully it wouldn't rain for a while. It would've sucked if our date was cut short.

"Ready?" Matt asked, holding out his hand.

"Yep," I responded with a wide grin, placing my hand in his. "The first thing we're doing is—"

"Eating," he interjected, setting up the M&M steps. "Your stomach was growling so loud I could hear it through the wind."

A blush blossomed on my cheeks and I pursed my lips at him. "I wasn't that hungry earlier." If you call four pancakes, two eggs, two pieces of bacon, and a sausage, 'Not hungry.'

"Now you are, so you're eating. Then we can do whatever you want. Okay?"

"Okay," I mumbled, doing another scan of our surroundings. Not many couples were out. It was mostly just groups of girls, or crowds of boys, or what looked like a pack of high school students who'd come on a field trip. It made me feel just a little special.

After we paid for admission (or rather Matt did), we headed for the food stands. Knowing me too well, he led me straight to the baked potato stand. I scratched the back of my head sheepishly as he smiled arrogantly. It only took me about fifteen minutes to scarf down the potato, so we could have fun.

"Where to first?" he inquired.

"Um, let's start of easy…"

He raised an eyebrow. "Tea cups?"

"Not that easy," I responded, rolling my eyes.

"Bizarro?"

Immediately I shook my head. "No way! I refuse to go on that. Way too scary."

He smirked. "Okay, I found what ride I want to go on."

"Aren't you too old for that?"

Giving me an innocent look, he tugged at his shirt. "Old? But I'm just a lowly high school student…"

"I don't want to go on it, Matt."

"We'll start easy," he coaxed, squeezing my hand. "Let's go on the Tomahawk."

I hadn't realized how long it'd been since I'd gone on some of the rides at the park, so nearly everyone had me screaming. Matt laughed every single time too, and held my hand tightly. Although I think he might have been holding on loosely and it was just me who was gripping onto him like my life depended on it.

We hit a few of the easy rides first: the two easy wooden roller coasters, Thunderbolt and Cyclone, Cat Woman's Whip, Pandemonium, and so on. Somehow Matt had managed to persuade me to ride Batman, which led to where we were now, standing in line for a ride that had him grimacing.

"Are you serious about this, Daphne?"

"Dead serious," I told him.

He sighed. "It's such a pity. He was a good man. Thanks for reminding me."

Impressed, I gave him an approving look. "I see Sage has been getting to you. Finally you've made a reference.*"

"Whatever," he muttered. "I don't want to go on this ride."

"It's our turn!" I told him excitedly, watching as a small, motored train came to a stop in front of us. The guy running the attraction gave us the go ahead, and I eagerly tugged Matt to it. "You drive!"

Grumbling under his breath, he climbed into the car that was way too small for him. It was quite an amusing sight. His legs bent awkwardly as he tried to get into a comfortable position while still trying to press the gas pedal. After a few choice words, he finally managed to press the gas pedal and make the car move. "Why are we on this again?"

"I went on Batman, so you can come on this," I responded, viewing the track we were following with a hand shielding my eyes from the sun. "Ah! Look! There's another couple riding a different one!"

"Yay."

I frowned at him. "Have more fun."

"We're on a children's ride… A grown, twenty-three year old man, on a six-year-old's ride, Daphne."

"You do look pretty ridiculous," I chuckled, taking in his cramped position.

"I'm going to get you back for this later."

My face fell immediately. "W-what?"

He smiled darkly. "You'll see."

"Turn the wheel right!" I suddenly cried; leaning over to yank the steering wheel in the direction the track went.

"Relax," he commented, pushing my hands away. "It's not like we can get off the track. We don't really have to pay attention."

"I'm driving home," I declared.

He tilted his head to the side. "Do you have your license with you?"

"I…" Fudge. I'd left it on my dresser. Scowling, I crossed my arms. "No, I don't."

"Then I guess I'm driving back."

Harrumphing, I returned my gaze to the scenic route we were on. The park had managed to place the attraction under its few trees, so there was a lot of shade and canopy to drive under. You could also see other rides through the gates and people sitting on the stone benches to the side. In the distance, I could see Bizarro and my stomach did a flip-flop. There was no way I could go on that.

When the ride came to an end, Matt instantly jumped out, straightening out his back. Like an old man, he placed a hand on his hip and groaned, staggering forward. I jabbed him in the side with my elbow. "It can't be that bad," I protested.

"You would know if you were taller, Shorty."

"I'm not short!"

"To me you are."

I attempted to shove him aside but he easily managed to block my attack, pulling me into a hug. "No fair," I complained, my voice muffled by his shirt.

"Er…Could you two please move?"

Matt and I promptly parted at the worker's request. Glancing behind me, I noticed the next pair in line was already in the train, waiting for us to get off the track. Embarrassed, I dropped my gaze and hurried out the exit gate, Matt on my heels. Unable to decide what to do next, we wandered aimlessly around the park. While going through a large crowd of people, he wrapped an arm around my shoulder, pulling me closer to him. Even though it wasn't too cold outside, his body heat was enjoyable.

"I know what we can go on," he said suddenly, coming to a dead halt.

"What's that?"

"The thing that brings us from one side of the park to the other by those cables," he informed me, pointing up. "It's not a Ferris wheel, but it's pretty close. Do you want to go on it?"

For a moment I frowned up at the cables, watching as a giant plastic ball go over our heads. I didn't particularly enjoy heights, but it didn't look that bad. "Sure," I finally responded, "let's go."

The jumbo hamster ball that carried the people across the cables was a lot more intimidating up close. It rocked violently as Matt and I climbed into it. My hands gripped the edge of the seat so hard, they were already white, and the ball hadn't even started moving yet. The worker had barely shut the door.

"This is horrifying!" I said through clenched teeth, my eyes glued to the ground so many feet below.

Matt smirked evilly. "Should I rock it?"

"No!"

"I'm going to do it."

"No!" I cried, glaring at him warningly. "If you do it, I'll never speak to you again. Ever."

Clearly amused, he stared back at me, his eyes challenging me. "That sounds pretty much impossible."

"Don't rock it. Please."

"Come here," he encouraged, patting the space next to him. "It won't be so scary if I'm next to you, right? Like when we first went on the Ferris wheel."

Reluctantly, I slid myself closer to him. He was right about feeling safer, but I also felt like it was better to have the weight distributed. Halfway through my movement, the ball began to move. My heart skipped a beat in my chest and I basically lunged the rest of the way to him. He grinned evilly, opening his arms and allowing me to cling to him.

"Don't make fun of me," I started, keeping my face pressed into his chest.

"You make it hard not to."

"It takes me a moment to get used to heights, you should know that," I notified him, forcing myself to pull my head away. My eyes dropped to the ground below and widened. "Wow… we're high."

He wrapped his arms around me so I couldn't move away. "We're fine though. It's a nice view."

"I wish it was sunset," I said wistfully. "I bet it'd be really pretty from up here."

"I think the park closes before sunset today."

I frowned. "Oh."

"We can still enjoy it now though," he told me, resting his chin on my shoulder. "Isn't it okay with just the two of us?"

Twisting in my seat a little, so I could see his face better, I smiled. "Yeah. You know, I really love when you're this open and honest, Matt."

He made a face. "Don't get used to it. You know it's not my natural personality."

"Then why…?"

"Because I know you like it."

I pressed my forehead against his. "I love you, Matt."

"I love you too," he murmured, brushing his lips over mine lightly. After a brief moment of hesitation he kissed me more deeply.

As an automatic reaction, my heart started to race in my chest. I turned to make it easier to kiss him back and rocked the compartment a little. The sudden motion caused me to jerk back in surprise. He gave me a confused look. "What?"

"Heights and kissing don't mix," I admitted reluctantly, pressing a heart to my chest. "I think if there is a random jerk, I might have a heart attack."

"Well, you taste like garlic anyway, so it's okay."

My hand shot up to my mouth. "I do not!"

"It must have been from your potato earlier," he observed thoughtfully, tapping his finger on my stomach. "Gross."

"Matt!"

"Phew! Even your breath stinks!"

"It does not!" I argued.

Pinching his nose, he turned his head away from me. "You need a breath mint."

"You're so annoying!" Unsure of whether or not he was being serious or just teasing me, I moved so that my back was toward him and tried to surreptitiously check my breath. My nose wrinkled when I realized it really did smell like garlic.

Suddenly Matt's arms tightened around me. "Oh well. I can still kiss your neck."

"Wait," I demanded, trying to stop him from brushing my hair aside. "It feels weird when you do tha— ah!" Cringing, I sucked in a breath as I felt his lips by my ear.

"And your reactions are worth it," he murmured, trailing his lips down my neck.

I tried to squirm away from him. "That feels weird!"

"No, it feels good," he stated confidently.

"How do you know?"

He stayed silent for a moment. "I know things," he finally declared.

I resisted the urge to roll my eyes. "Did Sage used to do this to you, Matt? I bet he— _ow!_" My hand slapped to the back of my neck. "Did you just _bite_me?"

"Haven't I told you to stop making gay jokes about Sage and I?"

"Did you bite me?" I repeated, ignoring his question, my eyes widening in disbelief. "What are you, a vampire?"

He pursed his lips at me. "No. I don't want to suck your blood. I was just giving you punishment."

"Punishment?"

"For that thing about Sage."

"So you bit me?"

"Is that what if felt like?"

"It hurt!"

He gave me a casual look. "Then I guess you know not to joke about that again, right?"

"Y-yeah," I mumbled, rubbing the back of my neck.

"Unless you like it…"

I dropped my head. He never could tease me enough, could he?

* * *

**A/N. ***The reference was to Sirius Black from Harry Potter, if you didn't catch that. When Daphne said to Matt, "Dead serious." :3

Thanks for reading, and I hope you enjoyed the Dapherseed (I think we can all agree this is a suitable couple name, right?) filled chapter! chapter! Please comment honestly, even if you know I won't like it. Because how will I get better if I don't fix and learn from my mistakes, right? :D

Hopefully the last part of this chapter wasn't too awkward. I added some humor to try and make it less awkward, but oh well. :3

_Review Replies:_ (By the way- I replied to all you lovely signed in people, hooray!)

Guest: Teehee. Thanks for the review!

Emma: Thanks! Yup, don't worry. :D Thanks for the review!

Guest: Hahah, a teddy bear, yes! He'll come by soon –not next chapter, but soon.

Samantha Louise: Hahah, just a bit. I have a lot of non-school projects to do for school…does that make sense? Like, I have to decorate a bulletin board for National Junior Honor Society, but I don't get extra credit or anything for doing it. And I have to balance actual school activities and FanFiction, so you can say I have a lot on my plate. Haha, cool! I can tell you that I'm not in high school, haha. :D Thanks for the review!

Wow, I can't believe that the review replies are in a short list! :D

See you guys this weekend! And have a happy Spring Break!

~Lara

PS. **A note from Jordan: **I just mushed all the Six Flags I've been to into one because there are different rides I like from each one, and I was too lazy to just look up rides in the MA one. So if it sounds weird, that's why lol.


	41. Chapter 41:

**A/N. **[Important Note: I started this whole _whole _thing around 11:46 PM Saturday night –I got back from serving the two-hour Easter mass at my church-, so if I sound like I'm about to drop dead on my feet or I just consumed gallons of alcohol –which I didn't- it's because I've spent about two hours ( the time says I finished at 12:53 AM, but I posted maybe five to ten minutes later) writing this when I should be sleeping and I've had a very busy day! :D]

Hi guys, it feels like it's been a while! ^-^' I apologize for the not-update last week, and I don't even know what my excuse is besides Wizard of Oz, SO…

QotU Winner: The ones who did do the QotU (Curlscat not-signed-in, Samantha Louise, GrimmGirlLove, and Writerchix98) because they were all entertaining stories. :D Daphne, Bryant, Jackson, and Sage and Ariana. Very nice choices.

New QotU: What are you doing/going to do/did you do for Spring Break? I'm sitting around and trying to complete my list of chores. :P

777th Reviewer: Key-2-Soul! Congrats! And yes I did miss you! You can ask me four spoiler questions if you'd like since you're the 777th, so ask away! :D

And happy belated birthday to Emma who's birthday was on the 20th on March! :D You go, girl!

Thankfully, I'm on Spring Break now, and you all can enjoy more updates, hopefully. Maybe. I wrote a schedule for next week and FanFiction's not really on that list (my list actually includes studying for science and making flyers and CD covers for Wizard of Oz).

Merp. Longer A/N. than I expected. By the way, the chapter abruptly ends, sorry; that's how it was written, and the ending may seem awkward for younger people, so watch out.

Enjoy!

* * *

_Chapter 41: Swim_

"Come on, Daphne."

Shaking my head, I tried to pull my hand out of my boyfriend's. "Absolutely not, Matt. I said I'm not going on it, and I mean it."

He held my hand tighter. "You don't have a choice. You're going on it."

"No!"

"Yep."

"No! It's late. It's cold. I'm tired. I'm ready to go back to the hotel."

"We're not leaving until we ride Bizarro."

I glowered at him. "You're such a jerk! You can't make me go on a rollercoaster I don't want to go on! I'm scared!"

"I'll hold your hand," he promised me.

"No!"

"Stop being a baby."

"Stop being a jerk!"

"You're causing a scene."

"I don't want to go on it!"

He frowned. "Really?"

I nodded. "Really."

"There's nothing I can do to change your mind?"

"Absolutely nothing."

Bringing his face closer to mine, his smoky eyes peered seriously into mine. "There isn't one thing I can get for you? Or do for you?"

Holding my ground, I straightened my back to show him I wasn't going to give in. "Nope, nothing."

"Not even telling you the fact that I brought you all the way out here for a date for us and paid for the hotel?"

"That was your choice. I can chip in… You know what, I probably should chip in. I bet that hotel costs a lot of money—"

"No, Daphne, I'm paying for that," he interjected, rolling his eyes. "Do I have to beg you to get on Bizarro with me?"

I crossed my arms. "I never realized you were one of those guys who don't realize no means no."

He smirked. "And I didn't realize how much of a wimp you are."

"I'm not a wimp!"

"Apparently you are."

Just as I was about to yell at him, I realized something. He was provoking me on purpose. "I know what you're doing," I said accusingly.

He gave me an innocent look. "What's that?"

"Trying to get me riled up so that I'll snap and agree to going on the ride!"

"I would never!" he gasped, mock horrified.

"I'm not going on it."

He narrowed his eyes. "You're going on it."

"The line's like two hours long."

"I'll keep you amused."

"I'm scared."

"I told you I'll hold your hand. The only way to get over your fears is to face them, you know?"

I shook my head. "I don't want to die."

"You won't die," he assured me, sounding impatient. "Come on, just go on it with me. Please?"

"I can't."

"You can!" he urged, squeezing my hand. "If you ride it with me I'll let you drive home."

Drive? Terry's convertible? That made me waver. When in the world was I going to get another chance to drive one of those? But then again, what if I crashed it? It would take me at least twenty years to pay for it. After a few moments of hesitation, I slowly shook my head again. "No…"

"I'll give you a back massage tonight."

"You know how to do that?"

He grinned proudly. "It's my hidden talent, but I'll only do it if you go on Bizarro."

"I don't know…"

"What do I have to do to get you to go on it?" he groaned, slumping his head down on my shoulder. Immediately a trace of his cologne met my nose.

I inhaled deeply, almost entranced by the scent. "Why do you want me to go on it so bad?"

"I always like taking your firsts," he murmured in my ear, wrapping his arms around my waist.

"Matt…"

"Besides, it's my favorite ride," he continued, pulling his torso away from me so he I could see his frowning face. "I want to enjoy it with you, my favorite person. My favorite, most beautiful person."

I suppressed the smile threatening to spill onto my face. "Are you resorting to flattery?"

"Is that what it's going to take?"

Laughing quietly, I ran a hand through my hair quickly. Already I could feel tension in my back and uneasiness in my stomach. Just by thinking about going on the rollercoaster! How was I supposed to handle it? "If I go on…"

"Yes?"

"Tonight…"

"_Yes?_" he pressed excitedly.

I stared determinedly into his eyes. "You're going to take another one of my firsts."

He blinked back at me. As I expected, his eyes narrowed and his expression became stern. "No, Daphne."

"Why not?"

"You know why," he told me warily.

"No, I don't."

"You do."

"I don't!"

He dropped his arms from around me. "Fine, if you're going to be like this, I'll go on by myself."

I grabbed his hand, grinning in amusement. "Come on, Matt. It might be your first too, right?"

"I…" His knowing expression suddenly dropped, replaced with a suspicious one. "What? What are you talking about?"

"A midnight swim," I responded innocently, dropping my eyes to my feet, "but if you're so against it then I guess—"

Suddenly my head was pressed against his chest roughly. "Daphne, where did you learn to trick people like that?"

Struggling to push myself away from him, I finally managed to put enough room between us so I could speak coherently. "Only from the best."

"You've got yourself a deal then," he informed me, shaking his head in disbelief. "The pool might be closed by then though."

"And?"

"We might not be able to get in," he said in a stating-the-obvious tone.

I raised an eyebrow. "I thought you're a former gang member?"

"'Former' being the key word."

"We're going to sneak in if it's closed," I declared confidently. "That'll make it more exciting."

Matt looked apprehensive, but sighed in a yielding manner. "I'm starting to think I'm a bad influence on you…"

I frowned at him. "You've always been a bad influence on me."

"I know," he deadpanned.

Rolling my eyes, I started walking, dragging him behind me by his hand. "Let's go get in line then."

"It won't be that bad, I promise. The ride will be over before you know that. It goes so fast you don't realize it began until it's over."

I froze. That sounded…

"Horrifying!" I forced out through gritted teeth, my hands clenching the meager safety harness around me. It felt like it was going to fly right off me! And the ride hadn't even begun yet!

"It can't be that scary. We're just sitting," Matt said, giving me a skeptical look. "Calm down."

"I wish I'd never got on this, I wish I'd never got on this," I chanted, squeezing my eyes shut tightly. "You're stupid, Matt. I hate you."

He chuckled. "I love you too, Daphne."

Without warning, a click that sounded like a lock closing resounded through the coaster. My safety harness was set in place. I instantly grabbed Matt's hand, pulling it closer to me so I could hold both it and the safety harness.

"Here we go," he said excitedly.

And then the ride shot forward. Not to my surprise, a sharp scream left my throat right away, causing Matt to laugh. After a moment, I realized what was so funny. We were hardly moving it all. Just slowly creeping the sky-high ramp that led to what looked like an eighty-degree drop on the other side.

"I'm going to die!" I shouted, completely terrified.

"You're not going to die," he replied calmly. "Well… maybe. A few people have flown off this before because of faulty harnesses…"

I looked down at my harness, shaking it a little bit. It did seem kind of loose… Anxiety welled up in my, but I didn't have time to comment back— we were suddenly shooting down the other side of the buildup. My hair whipped in front of my face as I screamed, feeling my skin being pulled back from the force of the wind. Laughter filled my ears as, apparently, Matt found my reaction priceless. At least I wasn't the only one screaming.

When the ride finally came to an end— which felt like ten minutes later instead of the minute like Matt said— I felt like I was going to heave. I nearly tripped flat on my face while climbing out of the coaster seat, my legs as shaky as jello. Pitying me, Matt wrapped an arm around my waist to keep me sturdy.

"It wasn't that bad, was it?" he questioned, grinning widely. "I'm ready to go on it again—"

"No!"

Rubbing my back, he laughed again. "I'm kidding, Daphne. With one look anyone can tell you're about to be sick."

I covered my mouth with my hand. "I really am, too."

"Let's go get something cold to drink," he suggested, leading me to the concession stands. "What do you want?"

"I want to leave," I grumbled.

He rolled his eyes. "Okay. We'll leave as soon as I get something to drink. And you too. You've hardly had anything to drink all day. I don't want you getting dehydrated."

"It's not even hot out," I pointed out.

Giving me a flat look, he tapped his head. "Do you remember what I am?"

"A monster?"

"Daphne."

"A teacher," I corrected myself, letting my shoulders sag. "And I shouldn't doubt your word, right?"

Impressed by my response, he nodded and patted my head. "You're a smart girl, Daphne."

"I thought you weren't a teacher today though?"

"I'm still one at heart," he responded dramatically, putting a hand on the left side of his chest.

Finally cracking a smile, I nudged him in the side. "And you can't give up the chance to act all smart, right?"

"Right," he agreed with a chuckle. "Now how does a can of coke sound?"

"Fine to me," I responded, wrapping my arms around my torso. "Let's just get them fast because it really is cold."

He nodded. "We'll drink in the car. If we leave now, we'll make it back just in time to change for our midnight swim."

"Do you think the pool's heated?"

"We'll find out, won't we?" he replied with a mischievous smile.

}-)))*] }-)))*] }-)))*] JUST KEEP SWIMMING, )-)))^-^) JUST KEEP SWIMMING }-)))*] }-)))*] }-)))*]

The hallways of the Marriott hotel we were staying at were surprisingly cold as we hurried down them. Even on the top floor where the pool was located. I wrapped my towel around me tighter, staying on the tips of my toes so I could move as stealthily as possible. Matt was right behind me, but it was hard to tell because he moved like a ninja. Maybe being in a gang was more useful than I thought it to be.

My thoughts were proven to be truth as we came to the poolroom. It was locked. The sign on the door stated that it'd closed two hours ago, at ten. Scowling, I turned to Matt, ready to glare accusingly at him. When he caught sight of my expression he smirked, pressing a finger to his lips. I watched warily as he moved toward the door, pulling some type of pocketknife out of his right swim trunk pocket. After a moment of confusion, I realized what he was going to do.

"No, Matt!" I hissed, yanking his arm away from the door handle.

"What?"

"What if it sounds an alarm?"

He rolled his eyes. "Unless the water in that pool is made out of liquid gold, I don't think there'll be an alarm on the door, Daphne."

I cupped my elbow. "I don't know…"

"Look, it's open."

My jaw dropped as he pulled open the pool door. No alarm went off. A redolence of chlorine rolled over me, causing me to wrinkle my nose, not used to the overpowering scent. Appearing incredibly proud of his skill, Matt strode into the room first, easily finding the light switch and illuminating the area. I swiftly entered after him, shutting and locking the door behind us so no one could get in easily if they walked by and noticed the light on.

"Guess what?"

"What?" I responded, my voice echoing around the room loudly. Immediately I clapped a hand to my mouth, startled by the sound.

He dipped his foot into the pool. "It's heated."

"Good!" I breathed, throwing my towel on the nearest chair and hurrying toward the water. "It's so cold up here!"

Tossing his towel away as well, he bent down near the edge, staring into the water thoughtfully. My gaze landed on his back, where his burn marks stood out, shining paler than the rest of his skin. Quietly, I moved over to him, squatting down by his side. Being as gentle as possible, I traced one of them with my pointer finger.

He started, lost his balance, and fell face first into the pool.

"Matt!" I cried, dropping to my knees by the edge.

A few seconds later he emerged from the surface, shooting me a dirty look. Before I could process what was happening, he had my forearms, dragging me into the pool headlong. I struggled for a minute under the water, trying to place my feet on the pool bottom so I could push my head above the water. When I finally managed to do that, I inhaled deeply, brushing my now wet hair out of my face.

"What was that for?" I demanded.

"You knocked me in first."

"I just touched you!"

He shrugged. "It still caused me to fall in."

I splashed him in the face. "Jerk."

"You want to play dirty so early?" he inquired, advancing on me.

"Uh… no?"

"Too bad," he declared, putting his hands on my bare hips and easily lifting me over his shoulder.

I beat on his back, feeling my cheeks warm up. "W-what are you doing? Let me go!"

He ignored my words and assault, easily bringing me toward the deeper end of the pool. "I'll let you down when I feel like it."

"No! Now!"

"Well… all right."

Without warning, he threw me with all his might, sending me a good few feet forward before gravity caught up with me and I hit the water. I was too shocked by his strength to have much of a response as I bobbed back up to the top. "You're really strong," I stated dumbly, wiping the water away from my eyes.

He flexed his arm, showing off his imposing muscles. "They may not look huge, but I've got the power of a body builder in here."

"Bigger than mine," I mumbled, squeezing my fist in an attempt to effectively show off my barely there muscle.

"Well, you can still pack a pretty good punch, remember," he noted, wading over to me.

"Still…"

"Girls with muscles are scary," he told me, nodding his head solemnly. "Body builder girls gross me out."

I cocked an eyebrow. "Seriously?"

"They don't gross you out? Big muscles and girls just don't mix."

"They do… I just thought maybe you'd like it," I responded, shrugging. "You know, like a gang thing."

He snorted. "No way. Some muscle is okay. Abs are okay."

I grinned sheepishly, putting a hand over my flat but soft stomach. "Abs are too much work."

"Lazy," he said, flicking water at me. "Look at this." He patted his own abdomen, where a defined six-pack could be made out through the water.

Crossing my arms, I turned my head away from him. "You were in a gang. You should have an eight-pack."

"Impossible," he responded at once. "Who do you think I am? A main character in a stupid romance novel with an eight-pack of steel? I think not."

"Well... You _can_ be pretty cheesy sometimes."

Suddenly his arms were wrapped around my waist and his chin was on his shoulder. "Like if I said you were as beautiful as the moon's reflection on the pool's water?"

I glanced around the room, furrowing my eyebrows. "But you can't see the moon's reflection…"

"Exactly."

"Hey," I protested, turning my head back to him. Our faces were only inches away, taking me by surprise. His arms tightened around my waist so that I couldn't move back.

He grinned playfully. "You know what I've always wanted to do?"

"What?" I nearly whispered, too dazed by his handsome face. The water dribbling down the side of it and matting his hair to his forehead added to it tremendously.

"Kiss under water."

"Kiss under water?" I repeated, frowning slightly. "Is that even possible? What if we drown?"

He lightly knocked his forehead against mine. "Just don't breathe, Daphne."

"Well with you, I never get to breathe anyway, so I guess it's no different than a regular kiss."

"There you go," he responded cheerfully, ignoring my attempt at an insult. "Now… Race you around the pool!"

I blinked as he rocketed away from me, swimming like a shark was chasing him. As his words caught up to my brain, my jaw dropped. I thought he wanted to kiss! Now he wanted to race? And he got a head start? How unfair could he get! Annoyed, I kicked off from the bottom of the pool and swam after him as hard as I could. Fortunately, swimming was something I was actually good at. Unfortunately, my skill wasn't up to par to his. Actually, it seemed like nothing physical I could do met his standards. He had to be some type of superhuman…

Oh wait_. Duh._

I brought my head up to take a breath of air, pausing in my frantic catch-up. Matt was already halfway around the pool. Thinking ahead, I decided to turn around and try to scare him. The idea brought a smile to my lips. He wasn't wearing goggles, so that meant he couldn't see. I could at least keep my eyes open for a few moments under the water.

Putting my ultimate plan into effect, I started paddling in the opposite direction he was going in, ready to submerge myself and give him a fright. As he approached, I held my breath, ducking under the water. Slowly, I opened my eyes, the chlorine stinging my eyes. He was only a few feet away now…

Suddenly he opened his eyes. Caught off guard, I gasped, forgetting I was underwater. In a second the water was down my throat, burning it and causing me to choke. Seconds later I was forced above the water, Matt holding me up.

"Are you okay?" he demanded, his eyes holding concern in them.

I coughed a few times, feeling my eyes water. "You scared me!" I gasped.

"Obviously," he stated, pressing his lips together. "I didn't think you would try to drink the entire pool though."

"I was going to scare you," I told him, still coughing.

"Haven't you learned that never works?"

I shook my head, trying to get the water out of my lungs. "One day," I choked out.

He sighed, rubbing my back soothingly. "Shut up for a minute and try to breathe, Daphne."

After a few moments my breathing returned to normal, the burning in my throat dying down. "That sucked," I finally stated.

Smirking, he shook his head at me. "I can't take my eyes off you, can I?"

"You don't want to," I shot back boldly.

He cocked an eyebrow. "Hold your breath."

"What? Why?"

"Do it."

His hands touched my shoulders. I sucked in a deep breath, knowing he was about to dunk me.

And dunk me he did.

But he didn't let me up.

Opening my eyes, I could make out his eyes open as well. He gestured for me to move forward, and I brought my head closer to his. Our lips met. It was an odd sensation, hard to describe. The water seemed to make his lips smoother and softer. Almost like kissing air.

After a second more I had to pull my head up to breathe again. He popped up after me, frowning. "Can't you hold your breath longer than that?"

"Right after I nearly drowned?" I responded dryly.

He grinned. "Oh, right."

"When you were younger you never kissed any of your old girlfriends under water?" I asked. It was solely out of curiosity. His old girlfriends held no importance to me.

"Not really. I did other things to them."

"Like what?"

"You really want to know?" he asked, his eyes lighting up in amusement.

A small part of me grew wary, but my interest in knowing far outweighed that. "I do."

He gestured for me to turn around. "You can't see."

"Okay…?"

"Ready?"

"Yep."

His hands touched my shoulders. I stood rigidly, waiting. Slowly, he brought his hands lower down my back, coming to a stop at the small of my back. My heart pounded loudly in my chest.

"This is what I did," he whispered in my ear.

Without further ado, I felt my bikini top being undone. In a flash, he had it off. "Hey!" I cried, my arms shooting up to cover myself as my face burned red. "Matt!"

He grinned evilly when I turned around to glare at him. Twirling my bikini top around his finger, he tilted his head to the side. "You're the one who asked me to show you."

"Yeah! But I didn't ask you to take off my bikini top! Give it back!"

"Reach for it," he said teasingly, holding it high above my head.

I glowered at him. "Matt."

"You can do it!" he cheered quietly.

Glancing down at my chest, I realized I would have to bare it all sooner or later. Right now though, there was a chance someone could walk in, and I didn't want him or her to see my shirtless. "Give it to me!" I ordered, lifting one of my arms up.

He held it higher. "You have to reach!"

I jumped a little bit. "Seriously!"

"Jump higher!"

Huffing, I sunk down a little bit in the water, ready to rocket myself up so I could reach it. What I didn't count on though, was him yanking his arm back as I reached for him. I lost my balance, falling straight into his chest, my arms falling on either side of him. My face slid down his toned chest all the way down to where his swim trunks started. There I finally managed to pull myself away, growing more embarrassed by the second. He, on the other hand, continued to become more and more amused.

"Can I have it back now, please?" I requested.

He thought about it for a moment. "Nope."

"Please?"

"Nah."

"What if someone walks in? They'll see my bare chest!"

He pursed his lips to the side. "Ah, I know how to fix that."

I gave him a flat look. "How?"

With his free arm, he brought it around my waist, scooping me closer to his body so that our chests were touching. I blushed again, but didn't pull away.

"Is that better?" he asked.

"You're a pervert," I muttered.

"You're my girlfriend, so it's okay," he countered, dropping his other arm down so that he could capture me completely.

I half-smiled at him. "Your girlfriend who can't have a physical relationship with you because she's still in high school."

He frowned at me. "I don't care about that, Daphne."

"But—"

"I've told you over and over. Just being with you is enough for me," he stated firmly. "Stop doubting my words."

"I'm not, I'm just—"

He cut me off by pressing his lips to mine. "I've gone about two years without sex. Two months more is nothing."

My heart stuttered in my chest. Two months… That was it. I suddenly felt nervous. "Can I put my bikini back on?" I questioned.

"Nope," he responded. "It's fun to watch you squirm."

Just as I was about to snap back at him, we both heard the door handle jiggle. Our eyes widened and before I knew it, he had me in his arms, carrying me to the edge of the pool. After placing me down on the cement ground, he quickly lifted himself out of the pool, gesturing for me to grab our towels. Conscious of my bare chest, I hastened over to them, grabbing mine and wrapping it around my torso and putting the other under my arm. Matt was on the other side of the room, holding the emergency exit open. I nearly slipped on the cement in my rush to exit the room.

Somehow we managed to make it out the exit before whoever was at the door got in. We hurried down the steps, nearly sprinting back to our room. When we finally made it, Matt slid the car key and nearly broke down the door trying to get it open. He pushed me in and then slid in after me, closing the door forcefully. After a few moments of heavy breathing, we both fell into laughter. He collapsed onto the king sized bed, shaking his head.

"We've had way too many close calls in our life time," I laughed, falling onto it next to him.

"I know," he agreed, turning his head so I could see into his grey eyes. "It keeps us on our toes though."

"Which is good?"

"Which is grea— Shit!" he swore loudly, shooting up.

"What?"

"I left your bikini top in the pool."

I grimaced. Great. That was my favorite one.

* * *

**A/N. **Told you it ended abruptly.

Oh my gosh, I read the most _craziest _book yesterday. (It's so crazy that I had to write "most" next to "craziest" in that previous sentence) I seriously want to ramble to someone about it, and I would in this A/N, but it's for a mature audience (like 17+)…and an audience that doesn't think I'm a freak for reading it. So if anyone wants to hear me ramble like a bumbling idiot, send me a PM! :D Oh geez, just thinking about that book gives me bizarre thoughts…sparkly guys who think they're actual vampire, a fake George Clooney, a girl with the same first name as me, but _absolutely completely _different personality –I'm not even sure if I should be offended with the character or cheer for her…it's crazy. Absolutely crazy._ Anyways._

OKAY. Well, I'm going to try my best with these replies. Signed in people will be replied to here, also, because I'm way too tired right now to reply individually (I'm horrible, I know D:). So here goes.

_Review Replies:_

: Hah, thanks! :D

Cherryzone1211: That's cool! Are you Chinese or Korean or…? :D Thanks!

Alyssum: Hahaha, I'm glad you liked it!

Key-2-Soul: Three chapters in a day? I can barely get through one now! Thanks for the review!

Emma: Really? I didn't notice! Times flies fast for me. :D Happy birthday again!

Dr. Wholuver103: Thanks!

Samantha Louise: That's awesome! Hahah, yep! That's so funny! I don't actually think Bryant has a last name…hmmm…Haha you're brother sounds fun to be around! Did you really handcuff him? I like blue and green.

Guest (Curlscat, I think): Haha, sounds fun! I want to join! :D What?! AMaWoS is almost done? Darn. But I think BCC is going to be a little longer; I'm adding in some small one-shots and things like that, so it might actually go a little further than forty chapters. Whoops, thanks. :D I don't know, probably went into hiding. Veronica brainwashed him. Thanks. Thanks! I like my linebreaks, too! Haha, at least you know now. Because she's BCC Daphne, not the original SG Daphne. Dunno. Sorry, thanks! Hahah, I'm glad you liked it! Daphnerseed. Daphneed. I wish they had a cool pairing name like the original BCC characters do. The girl's name is Holly Evers, and the teacher's name is Chris Heywood, so they form Hollywood. :D Me neither, but it seems Jordan has. Thanks for the review!

Hanyou of the Grimms: Haha, thanks so much! Glad you liked how this chapter lightened things up!

CupinCakes: That's great because I think there's one more before Daphne and Matt head back to NYC. Thanks for the review!

iiGabbyLove: Lol, glad you understand. :D Wait, I feel like I've had this conversation with you before…oh well. But you do realize Disney World has nothing to do with Harry Potter? That's Universal, you know. :3 But maybe you'll go to Universal and then see Hogwarts! (I don't want to be a dream crusher, but I don't want to beat around the bush also) :D Thanks!

GrimmGirlLove: LOL, thanks a lot! :D Oh wow…what a beautiful day. I'm tearing up. :'D That sounds wonderful! Heehee, bai!

Writerchix98: Haha, I'd LOVE to do that with Sage and Ariana! Thanks for the review! :D

Well before I crack open my head and take out my brain so I never have to think again (AAAAGGGHGHGHGHGHHH!), I wanted to say thanks for reading, following, commenting, everything! It keeps the guilt coming which motivates me to continue posting! That's a good thing, don't worry.

I'll see you guys next weekend! :D Bye!

~Lara

PS. POTAYTO POTAHTO TOMAYTO TOMAHTO GAAAAHHHHHH MY BRAAAAIIN


	42. Chapter 42:

**Edit: The following was all written yesterday, so I'm aware that today isn't Saturday. :D**

**Edit: 4/28/13: I fixed the part where Matt comes in looking for Daphne and sees Daniel in the ice machine room. XD**

**A/N.** -_- I'm a bad updater. This chapter took a long time because I had to type it all out this time, and I've been coming home at 5 from school because of Wizard of Oz. (Currently, I'm at a Saturday practice from 10-2 PM D:)

But currently, I'm having lunch with my friends, so I'm typing out the story. :) Yay!

Anyways, I hope you all had a **wonderful spring break! **As for me, I lazied around, and discovered the awesome that is called Young Justice. OHMYGODTHEFEELSWAAAALLLYYYYARTEMISNOOO. I can't believe it's getting canceled. D: As much as I love Teen Titans (YJ Robin/Nightwing is so much better than TT Robin), I'd rather have YJ than Teen Titans Go! All right. Done ranting.

With how the story is coming to a close, it doesn't seem like I'll be able to input some action-y chapters. I'm trying to ending things on a good note, like more of the SG family, more humor and light-hearted stuff. I know some of you will be disappointed because you wanted some action like FtFT had, but I think you'll like the ending chapters regardless if there's action or not. :)

**800th** **Reviewer**: KZ-Jello! Congrats! ^-^

**QotU Winner:** iiGabbyLove because I AM ENVIOUS. With a capital ENVIOUS.

**New** **QotU**: Craziest outfit you've ever worn? (I'm wearing cardboard with glitter and plaster and leaves with a skintight body suit and a glittery itchy hat).

Enjoy!

* * *

_Chapter 42: Unexpected_

"Come on Daphne, we have to leave soon."

I crossed my arms stubbornly, glaring at the floor. "No."

"It's not your fault you fell asleep."

"You're right. It's yours. I'm angry at you."

Matt rolled his eyes, dropping my overnight bag onto the wooden floor with a soft thud. "I don't understand why you're so angry."

Puffing out my cheeks, I switched my gaze to him, doing my best to keep my angry stare up as my eyes landed on his innocent gaze. "Because you let me fall asleep!"

"You were tired. It's not like I was going to shout to wake you up, Daphne."

"I wasn't tired!" I protested. "You just caught me at a bad moment! I would've woken up if you'd put something more interesting on!"

He waved me off. "Why does it matter if you fell asleep or not?"

"Because!"

"Because why?"

"Because... because..."

A handsome smirk spread across his face. Cocking an eyebrow, he shuffled over to me, and squatted down so he was at my sitting height. "Ah, don't tell me. You were planning to try and seduce me, weren't you?"

"No!" I denied too quickly, my cheeks flushing pink.

"It wouldn't have worked," he informed me nonchalantly, returning to his full height. "You were already half-naked, so there goes half of the fun. Besides..." He paused, his eyes scanning over my body. "Well, never mind."

My mouth dropped. "What? No, you can't just never mind that! What were you about to say? You were going to insult me weren't you?"

Instead of replying, he turned his back on me, shoving his hand into his jeans' pockets. "We really have to go now."

"Matt!"

"If you keep bothering me about this sex thing Daphne, I'll never even touch you again. You'll be a virgin forever."

"Unless I break up with you," I muttered under my breath.

He suddenly turned, a cocky expression on his face. "But you won't."

I frowned. "How do you know?"

"Have you seen me?"

Rolling my eyes, I finally pushed myself off the bed, doing my best to ignore Matt's cheeky grin. One of these days his arrogance was going to bite him in the butt, and when that day came, I was going to laugh in his face. However, I highly doubted that day would ever come. His egotistical attitude came with reason... even if he did over use it. Sighing, I headed for my overnight bag. At least I was the one who got to drive Tristan's convertible back home.

For some reason Matt seemed overly amused as I dug through my bag, searching for my wallet that held my license. When I couldn't find it, I frowned, digging through my personal assets again, trying my best to locate it. After a third search, I was scowling again. "Where's my wallet?" I cried, slamming the bag back to the ground.

"On your kitchen counter," Matt remarked teasingly.

I stared at him. "You're joking..."

"Nope," he responded a grin.

"I can't believe you! That's why you told me I couldn't drive home! Because you knew I didn't have my wallet!"

He half-shrugged. "Maaaybe."

I reached for his leg, yanking it as hard as I could. "You're really a jerk! I can't believe you!"

"Hey," he protested, easily liberating his shin from my grasp. "It's not like I made you forget your wallet."

Turning a blind eye to him, I pushed myself up to my knees and then feet, heading for the door. He called after me, but I pretended not to hear, escaping into the hall. If he wanted to be annoying, I didn't have to deal with it. I wasn't really mad at him, but it was fun pretending to be.

As soon as I shut the door to our hotel room, I broke into a sprint down the hallway so I could get a head start before he came after me. Predictably, he burst through the door about ten seconds later, but by then I was already rounding the corner. Laughter threatened to spill out my lips, but I managed to hold it back, knowing that letting it go would only slow me down.

"Daphne!" I heard Matt shout. "Get back here!"

I stumbled past the laundry room, where a hotel worker was just coming out of the doorway, pushing a trolley. Unable to stop myself, I smacked right into him, nearly knocking us both over. For once, I was the one who steadied the other.

"Sorry!" I apologized quickly.

"No running in the halls," he reprimanded, brushing off his shirt. He straightened out his nametag, which read 'Marshal'. "It's against hotel regula-"

"Daphne!"

Glancing back, I noticed my crash had given Matt the chance to catch up with me. "Gotta go, Marshal," I muttered before pushing away from him and scurrying down the hall again.

"I said no running!"

"Watch out!" Matt warned.

There was a crash behind me and an angry yell from Marshal, but I couldn't stop to take a look. By the sound of his pounding feet, Matt was about ten feet behind me. A little bit panicked, I rounded another corner and looked around me for a way to escape. My eyes located the ice room, only a few feet away. Taking a sharp right, I entered the room, moving to the side to hide behind the wall immediately. I didn't have any time to catch my breath before I heard my name being called.

"Daphne?"

I froze. That definitely wasn't Matt's voice. Turning my head, I came face-to-face with Daniel. Unable to believe he was really there, I blinked a few times and rubbed my eyes. It was still Daniel. I almost shook my head in disbelief. Out of all the places in the world he could've been at this moment.

"What are you doing here?" we both asked at the same time.

Matt chose that moment to burst through the door, a frustrated expression on his face. "Dap-" He cut himself off, his eyes becoming wide and startled at the sight of Daniel. "Da-dammit, I hit my foot in the door," he corrected himself, wincing in pain. He pretended to look surprised, gazing at me. " Hello, Daphne, Daniel..."

"Mr. Firay?" Daniel said, sounding even more surprised than he did when saying my name. "What are you doing here?"

"Teacher's... conference?" he responded hesitantly. His gaze locked on mine for a moment before he snapped them away. "What about you two? Did you come here together?"

Daniel let out a nervous chuckle. "W-what? No way! It's just a coincidence! We're not dating!"

Matt smirked, a knowing glint coming to his eye. I tried to give him a warning look, but he ignored me. "I never said I thought you were dating."

"Oh... Well..."

"But I always thought you two were dating. You seemed closer than most friends," he continued thoughtfully.

Daniel blushed. And by blush, I mean how I blushed. "No! We're just friends, Mr. Firay!"

He grinned evilly. "By your reactions I think-"

"Do you need ice, Mr. Firay?" I interjected politely, pointing to the ice machine. "It's all yours. I think Daniel is done, right Daniel?"

Sending me a thankful look, he nodded. "Yeah, I'm done. I've gotta get back to my room... See you two in school tomorrow!"

After watching him hightail it out of the room, Matt started laughing while I frowned disapprovingly at him. "It's not okay to make fun of people, Matt."

"I can't help it," he told me, shaking his head. "It's like... I'm addicted or something. You can't just say it's not okay to smoke and expect a smoker to stop, can you?"

Shaking my head, I sighed. "Whatever."

"Although, seeing Daniel startled me. We're in New Jersey for crying out loud. What are the odds that'd he'd be here in this very same hotel?"

"Who knows," I responded, slowly creeping around in to the door, ready to take off again.

Somehow knowing my motives, he reached out and grabbed my forearm, halting me. "I don't think so, Daphne. No more cat-and-mouse. You need to get your stuff, brush your hair, and we need to leave. We were supposed to be out of our room five minutes ago."

Grumbling under my breath, I nodded, allowing him to lead me back to our room. "Why do we have to go back so early, anyway?"

"Hotel rules. And besides, if we don't go back, no one will be around to watch Jackson."

I stared at him, a little bit taken aback. "So you do care about him!"

He returned my stare with a flat one. "No, I care about you, so I'll do what I can to keep you happy."

"Same thing," I responded happily, moving onto my tiptoes to give him a brisk kiss.

His hands went to my cheeks to hold my head in place before I could pull away, prolonging the contact. "Okay, we really need to leave," he stated reluctantly. "Don't bother brushing your hair. It'll just get messed up again in the car."

"I'll brush it at the hospital," I told him, picking up my overnight bag from off the ground and throwing it over my shoulder.

"You don't want to go home first?"

I shook my head. "We go by the hospital on the way home, so it's quicker if we just go straight there instead of stopping back at my house and then going back... That's okay, right?"

"Sure," he replied, grabbing his own bag and the keys off the key holder. "Let's go then."

The ride back to New York seemed a lot shorter than the ride up. It was drizzling out, so we kept the convertible's top on, which lessened the fun in riding in the car. After arguing over the radio for a few minutes, Matt had decided to just shut it off, leaving us in silence. My hand was over his on the stick shift, holding on tightly. A yawn left my lips and I shifted into a more comfortable position, resting my head against the window.

"Hey Matt?"

"Hmm?"

"Remember how I told you I sent out those applications to those colleges?"

"Yup."

"The acceptance letters should be coming soon."

He glanced over at me, grinning. "You sound pretty confident."

"I have the best teacher," I told him.

Chuckling, he nodded. "I agree. Accept for the fact that the class you do worst in is the class he teaches."

"Who are you talking about? I was talking about Mrs. Stev-"

He snorted. "Yeah, okay."

"Seriously though," I continued, dropping my smile. "Can't you just quit teaching high school and teach college?"

"I could," he responded, "but there's no guarantee of which college I'll get a job at. Besides, I told you, don't factor me into your college choice."

"I'm not factoring only you in. I'm factoring my mom, Ariana, Wendell, Milkshake... There's no way I can leave that kitten alone for four years with only you, Matt."

He nodded solemnly. "I might accidentally kill it."

"Matt!"

"Kidding," he laughed. "Let's not talk about this right now-"

"Why?" I pressed. "Why do you keep avoiding it? Why can't we discuss it? Do you plan to ditch me as soon as I graduate or something?"

He glanced at me, narrowing his eyes. "You know I'm not thinking that, Daphne."

"Then why won't you discuss this with me?" I demanded.

"Because, I'll just selfishly tell you to go to the closest college and that's not a school fitting for you," he snapped back.

I blinked at him. "So you don't want me to go far away?"

"I love you. Of course not. But I do want you to get into a good school."

"Vassar is good! It's a four-year, not a community. It's only in Poughkeepsie, too! Plus, since we live so close, I don't have to dorm!"

"Poughkeepsie is an hour and a half away. Are you really going to drive that every day?"

I shrugged. "I won't have classes every day, so yeah."

Sighing, he shook his head. "Just make sure you choose wisely. You make it sound like you want me to convince you to stay close."

"No, I just wanted to hear you say you don't want me to leave."

He abruptly turned his face toward the window, cutting his emotion from my view. I smirked, knowing what I said had embarrassed him.

"You can put on the radio," he muttered after a moment.

Smiling, I leaned forward and put it onto my station. Sometimes it was nice to have the upper advantage.

The rain was falling steadily when we finally arrived in front of the hospital. Just as we pulled in, Matt's phone rang. He fumbled with it for a minute before putting it to his ear, squinting to see through the pouring precipitation. "Hello?"

I waited, hearing an incoherent buzz coming from the other side of his phone.

"No," he said flatly. "No. No... Fine. Yeah, let me just drop Daphne off at the hospital and I'll be there- no, moron, she's not hurt. She's seeing Jackson, remember? Yeah. Okay. Bye."

"Sage?" I guessed as he snapped the phone shut.

He shot me a dirty look. "How'd you guess?"

I laughed, signaling for him to pull over to the drop-off lane. "Where are you going? Are you going to be back?"

"Yeah, I need to pick up Shaine and Sairi from their grandmother's since I guess Sage's car died or something. I'll see you in a bit," he informed me, leaning forward to kiss me.

"Okay, I'll be here," I told him, lifting my hand to cup his face for a second. "I love you."

"Love you too," he said, pulling away. "Be careful."

I rolled my eyes. "Jackson wouldn't hurt me anymore."

Matt gave me an apprehensive look, but didn't say anything. I climbed out of the car, hurrying to the hospital entrance to get out of the rain. Even with my haste, I still ended up half-drenched. The rain was coming down hard.

Entering the hospital, I didn't bother going to the clerk since I already knew what room Jackson was in. A familiar song was playing in the speakers overhead so I hummed along as I walked through the mostly empty halls to his room. It seemed no one liked to visit people when it rained.

I didn't bother knocking before walking into his room, squeezing my eyes shut in case he was indecent. "Jackson, guess who? I hope you're decent!"

Two responses came back at me. One was a muffled yell of, "Help!" while the other was a more quiet, demanding, "Get her!"

My eyes flew open as a pair of strong hands grabbed my arms, dragging me inside the room. The door slammed shut behind me, sending my heart into my throat. Scanning the room, I noticed there were three other people besides Jackson in the room. Two of them I didn't recognize, including the one holding onto me, but one of them I did. James. And when I realized what he was doing, I gasped. He was trying to suffocate Jackson! There was a pillow to Jackson's face, held in place by James. Jackson was struggling to push him off, but to no avail.

"Cover her mouth before she screams," James said to the one holding me.

I drew in my breath, ready to shout for help, but the man holding to me slapped his hand to my mouth before I had the chance too. Immediately I began to struggle to free myself from the man's arms. Surprisingly, he didn't have too strong of a grasp. Managing to get one of my arms free, I sent an elbow into his chin. He let go of me instantly and I twisted on my heel, facing him. Letting instinct take over, I slammed my fist into his jaw. He staggered backwards, shouting out in pain.

For a second I was mesmerized, staring at my fist. It'd been quite a while since I'd last punched someone using my full force.

Not wasting any time, I dove for the nurse's button, trying to press it to gain help. James noticed what my aim was and moved away from Jackson, who shoved the pillow off him and started coughing. Just because I could touch the button, James grabbed me, shoving me out of the way. I hit one of the medical stands, the metal edge stabbing painfully into my side. A small groan of pain escaped my lips. That was most definitely going to leave an ugly bruise.

"Daphne!" Jackson shouted, sitting up in his bed. Pain passed across his face, but he managed to get his legs off of it.

"Nice to see you," James said, towering over me menacingly. "Figures you would come in on this."

I glared at him. "Trying to murder someone in a public place like a hospital? You thought no one would interrupt you?"

He narrowed his eyes. "I didn't think Jackson had friends."

"You don't think much, do you?" I challenged, ignoring the hammering of my heart. My words were pretty sturdy, surprising me. Usually when I was scared I'd stutter and my voice would shake. Needless to say, I was impressed with myself.

But now the questions popped up in my mind. What was James doing in Jackson's room? Why was he trying to kill Jackson? How could he try such a thing in a hospital? It was like the bad guys were getting dumber and dumber by day! Not to mention the fact anyone could walk in at any second like I did!

"Don't touch that," James suddenly snapped, sending his arm backwards, his elbow going straight into Jackson's ribs.

I winced, knowing that was a sore spot. Jackson groaned, sinking down to his knees. James still had the nurse button in his hand. My mind raced, thinking of a way to get out of this situation. Of course this would happen the one time Matt didn't come with me! My first instinct was to scream, but I didn't want to get involved in anything I didn't have to- including playing witness to an attempt at murder. What would my mom say if I got caught with people attempting murder again?

"Daphne!" Jackson squawked, his eyes widening.

I ducked. Lucky thing I did too, because the guy I'd punched earlier had swung out at me. Before I had the chance to recover from that attack, the other nameless guy lunged at me, his right arm going around my waist while his left hand captured my wrist. He roughly pulled me backward, holding me tightly to his chest. Annoyed, I stomped on his foot. This guy, unlike the other, seemed a little stronger though, and ignored it.

"Let her go!" Jackson demanded, attempting to push himself back to his feet.

James easily kept him down with his foot. "Shut up, kid."

"If you guys don't leave, I'll scream."

"If you scream, Joey here will snap your neck. I think you know me well enough to know I'm not lying."

I narrowed my eyes. "Yeah, that's right. I know what kind of scum you are. The kind of scum that would send his own brother to jail in his place."

He laughed. "You're brighter than I pinned you as. Bryant will be glad to hear that."

"Why are you trying to kill Jackson, James?" I demanded.

"Bryant's orders."

Jackson scowled up at him. "Didn't he give you a reason?"

He shook his head. "Nope. I didn't ask."

"Bastard," Jackson muttered.

"You're not going to murder Jackson, Bryant," I told him defiantly. "If you don't leave the room right now, I'll scream."

He didn't seem fazed. "Didn't I tell you your neck would be snapped?"

"I'd still have enough time to get someone to notice my scream."

"Do you want to try it?"

Swallowing nervously, I nodded my head. "Yeah, I'll just catch you off guard. Scream when you're not- AH!"

I knew I would have a three second break from the time Joey let go of my arm and waist to the time he'd grab my neck. Using it to my advantage, I burst forward, knocking right into James, never letting my voice die down. James shoved me aside and I lost my balance and fell. My hand shot out to grab something to steady me, catching on the wire attached to the nurse button. Without hesitation, I slammed my palm down onto the button.

"Shit!" James swore, staring at the button in my hand. "Get out! Leave! Move!" he ordered, shoving Joey aside in his haste to exit the room.

It was kind of funny seeing how panicked the men looked as they rushed out of the room. Breathing out a heavy sigh in relief, I pushed myself into a sitting position. Jackson was still kneeling on the ground, a dumbstruck expression on his face. His gaze met mine and he gesticulated wildly, his mouth opening and closing without making a sound.

"How?" he finally managed.

"Luck," I said flatly, shaking my head. "You're more of a trouble magnet than I am... And we'll have to tell the police about this," I grumbled.

"No!"

I cocked my head to the side. "No?"

"James will tell on Bryant!"

"But Bryant is-"

"That doesn't matter!" Jackson snapped at me. "Please. Don't say a word. If something happens again, I'll say something. Just not now."

"But Jackson-"

"I said please," he interjected, giving me a desperate look.

Taken aback, I slowly nodded. "But the next fishy thing is going straight to the police. And I need to tell Matt and Sage what's happened."

"Why?"

"So they know we're not watching you for nothing."

Suddenly the door burst open and a nurse came in, a frantic look to her eyes. "What's wrong? I heard screaming and the nurse button was pressed!"

"He fell," I explained quickly, pointing to Jackson. "I panicked."

She gave him a disapproving look. "What are you doing out of your bed, Mr. Tomber?"'

He gave her a sheepish expression. "Bathroom...?"

"You need to ask for help," she sighed, going over to him and helping him off the floor. "And you," she continued, staring at me. "Don't scream like that."

I scratched the back of my head. "Haha, yeah..."

As soon as she turned her back to me, I frowned. So Bryant really was trying to go after Jackson. The question was why?

Unfortunately, I figured I already knew the answer. If something didn't go his way, he thought it was okay just to dispose of it. Just like me. Rubbing my forehead, I sighed once more. Why couldn't he just stay out of my life?

* * *

**A/N****.** Poor Jackson. Well there's your action, (I felt bad) but I won't be able to write any more of these scenes since it won't go along with the rest of BCC.

:)

Bwahah. I kid. Of course there's going to be some action! So what's going to happen to Jackson, Daphne, Matt? What does Bryant want? Who else will he go after? Dun dun dunnn.

Review Replies: (Signed in and Anon, sorry D:!)

Hurting with a Smile: Aw, thank you very much! That's kind of you to say. :)

103: Haha, thanks! Aw, that comment made my day! Lol, no it's not about Twilight. It's just way too crazy to describe. :D

GrimmGirlLove: Hahah, thanks for your perff review! LOL. Go California~ California girls, we're undeniable, daisy dukes, bikinis on top! Lol, that would be bad!

Samantha Louise: Happy Easter to you, too!

curlygirl123: Hahah, thanks! Don't worry, we're going to bring Sage back soon, hopefully. :D Happy Easter to you, too!

iiGabbyLove: Long message you got there. ;D Lol. Geez, you lucky, lucky duck! I'd be lucky if I got to go to two parks in one year! (I haven't been to Universal since last year, and it doesn't seem like I'll be able to this year!) OH MY GOSH THEY HAD AN ANIME STORE?! I didn't get to go to the Around the World thing. :P Lucky DUCCCK! You went to the Holy Land, too?! -_- Not fair at all. Hahha, I hope you had a great spring break!

CupinCakes: Thanks! That's all right! Thanks for the review!

Syl: He does. :) And yes, I find it immoral (some other people don't), but I wasn't the original writer of this story. The original writer -I guess- has different views from me and you, but I promise I won't post anything about it. It's basically -in this story- all talk and no action. :) Thanks for the review -it really made me think. :)

foxface333choclatelabrador: Thanks! Oh awesome! :D Thanks for the review!

cbstormx: Thanks! I'm glad I've inspired you to keep reading FF!

Green Penguin: Thanks! Oh yeah! Thanks os much for pointing that out! :D

KZ-Jello: It's a Grimm thing sort of. :D Yup. No, they're actually Jack and Jill. :D JACKson and Julianne (which is close to JILLianne). :D Lol! Thanks! True! Thanks for your thoughts! He's my favorite, too! :D True! Sage is the best. :)

CattyM3: That's all right. :D That's so cool! I wish I had a British friend! Aw, well you'll keep in touch, so that's all that matters. :) Stayed home, watched lots of TV, lol!

Laylaenchantix101: Haha, I'm glad you enjoyed the chapter so much! It made my day! :D Thanks for the review!

Welp, I believe you'll be getting an early update this week because this weekend -Friday through Sunday- I'll be Wizard of Oz frenzied. Fun! :D

See you!

-Lara

PS. Errors that you found? Thoughts that you'd like to share? Comment please! :D


	43. Chapter 43:

**A/N.** I know this is terrible of me, but I won't be able to reply to reviewers today (after TWO weeks D:}) because I'm just way too busy. But** luckily, I found the reason why my updates have been slow and so forced!**

I really thought I could be able to handle FF and school at the same time, and I think I would, if I didn't have to think about last year exams and graduation parties and whatnot. I've been deep in school work, and just last week my school finally performed the Wizard of Oz, so I'm a little behind on schoolwork. (...I also went to Magic Kingdom this weekend, so I've been really busy.)

I could update tomorrow, in two weeks, or maybe in a month which is when I'm totally done with school, but it just depends on what's happening. If I end this chapter with, "See you next week!"** I know I'm going contradict myself because it always seems to turn out that way.** :( (I think because I wrote I won't reply to reviewers, I actually will. Again.)

So I'm really sorry for disappointing some readers, but this is how I'll be updating **from now on. I'll update when I feel like it, because if I force myself to update, I won't be happy at myself.** I won't be happy with myself because I know I'll be uploading something terribly edited, and it takes away from my love of FanFiction. And I'd like you give you all chapters that I enjoy editing and sharing with you, I don't want to give you all chapter's because I'm "obligated" to. :)

By the way, I fixed last chapter's error where Matt is looking for Daphne in the hotel and finds Daniel in the ice machine room if you guys want to take a look at it. It's very minor, but I think it's sort of funny.

QotU Winner: Samantha Louise because she was a flying, black and red haired pirate princess for Halloween. With a mustache.

New QotU: What are you going to do once school's over and summer has begun?

Enjoy!

* * *

_Chapter 43: Indescribable_

People weren't lying when they said hospital food was disgusting. And I eat _everything_. Unable to handle it, I pushed my plate away from me, shaking my head. "If I eat anymore, I'll throw up."

Jackson shot me a dirty look. "At least you can go home and eat something different afterward."

"I'll bring you Subway or something next time," I told him, leaning back in my chair and letting out a sigh. "Now can we talk about what just happened?"

Frowning, he leaned back onto his bed, gazing up at the ceiling lazily. "There's nothing really to talk about…"

"Yes there is! Why did they suddenly come after you? In a hospital, nonetheless! A public place! And it was so random too!"

He shook his head. "It wasn't random."

I stared at him flatly. "It wasn't? You've been in here for about a week and you're telling me showing up at of the blue today isn't random?"

"It's not," he pressed, rolling his eyes at me. "A few days ago I got a letter from Bryant saying I should expect this—"

"You _what?_"

Jackson blinked at me. "I got a letter from Bryant and—"

"And you didn't think to tell me?" I demanded, my eyes as round as saucers. "Jackson! That was dangerous! You could've died! Why didn't you think to mention it when you got the letter? Usually threatening letters means danger!"

He glowered at me. "I told you I don't need your help—"

"That's why when I walked in you had everyone knocked out on the floor with your foot on James's back, right?" I asked sarcastically.

"W-whatever!"

"You're handicapped right now, Jackson. Remember that. Even if you don't want my help, you do need it."

He crossed his arms. "But you're a girl. I don't want—"

"Help from a girl?"

"No, you getting hurt."

His words threw me off guard for a moment. "Huh?"

An embarrassed expression crossed his face and he glared at the floor, avoiding all eye contact with me. "I've done enough to you. Stupidly. I don't want to involve you in anything else. I owe you that much."

"I don't mind," I responded, my gaze softening. "I'm sure I've said this a hundred times, but I've been on the receiving end of Bryant's craziness. That and apparently, I'm too nice…"

He snorted. "Too nice? That's the understatement of the century."

I puffed out my chest defiantly. "There should be more people like me in the world. It'd make it a better place."

"I suppose so," he agreed quietly. Then, realizing what he said, he froze up. "N-never mind. Get out."

"I'm not leaving."

After a moment of silence he sighed. "Fine."

"What else did the letter say?"

He shrugged. "Not much. Bryant said I could redeem myself if I did him a favor, but I'm done doing him favors."

I tilted my head to the side curiously. "What favor is that?"

Half smiling, he brought up his right hand, hooking up his thumb and pointing his pointer finger at me. "Pew, pew."

"Oh."

"Yeah."

"You don't even have a gun," I stated, furrowing my eyebrows. "How can he expect you to do that?"

Jackson shrugged again. "Don't know, don't care. I told you I'm done with him."

"That's good… but if you're done with him, why won't you let me go to the police about this?"

"I still… you know, love him," he muttered, clenching his fists tightly. "I don't want to. I want to hate him, but I can't. Not yet. So for now, I don't want to do anything to him."

Pursing my lips, I glanced out the hospital window. The rain was falling harder now, giving me a sense of unease. It was easy to understand Jackson's feelings because of Matt, but there was also the fact Bryant tried to kill Jackson— twice now. How could he still want to protect Bryant? I tried imagining Matt attempting to murder me, but that was an impossible idea, so I couldn't picture it.

"Why would Bryant send James to kill you in a public place though?" I finally asked, feeling exhausted all of a sudden.

"Well obviously because I'm pretty defenseless right now," Jackson explained, gesturing to his body. "Wouldn't it be easier just to come here and suffocate me quietly, than to try and murder me on the streets where I can run and cause a disturbance."

I narrowed my eyes at him. "You can cause disturbance here. Why didn't you do that?"

Sheepishness washed over his face. "I was asleep."

Now I sighed, my shoulders sagging as I slumped against the chair. "So now we have to keep an eye on you while you sleep?"

"You don't have to do anything," he snapped at me.

"Oh!" I cried, sitting up straight again.

"What?" Jackson demanded in a startled voice.

Excited, I jumped up to my feet. "We can tell the woman at the front desk to not allow James back in! We can say that he's too distracting for you or something! Or a bully from your high school! Ooh! This will work!"

Jackson shook his head at me. "That sounds stupid."

"It'll work though!"

"I doubt it."

"It's worth a try!"

"It won't work."

I glowered at him. "Stop being a negative Nelly! Geez!"

He rolled his eyes. "Sorry."

"We'll see what Matt says first then," I decided, sinking back down into my chair glumly. My bruised side caught the edge of it, causing me to wince.

Jackson peered at me worriedly. "Are you okay?"

I waved him off, smiling. "I've had worse. It's probably just a little bruise…" Curious now, I lifted up the side of my shirt, where an ugly purple bruise was starting to form on my pale skin. "Haha," I laughed awkwardly, dropping my shirt to cover it from view when I noticed Jackson gaping at it. "It doesn't hurt much…"

"It looks like it hurts," he stated flatly.

"I'm fine!"

He stared at me skeptically for a second. "You know, you don't seem like the type of girl who'd just shrug off a bruise like that… Actually, I can't quite comprehend how you managed to fight off James and those other two brats. You seem like the type of girl who'd start crying during a situation like that. Or scream. Or probably both."

I scratched the back of my head sheepishly, remembering my past self. "I've grown up a lot over these past few months."

"What exactly happened between you and Bryant? Why does he hate you so much? And Mr. Firay? He never told me…"

Frowning, I hesitated. I couldn't tell Jackson the reason why without giving Matt and I away to him. Although with him acting like this, I doubt he'd tattle on us, but still. I had to be careful. "It's kind of a long story."

He gestured to his wounded body. "I have time."

"It's mainly due to the fact I look like the other Daphne," I explained carefully. "That and I… Er… Well, you know, since I used to babysit Paul, I knew Sage; Sage and Matt are friends, so we all had a friendship, and when Bryant came after me, Matt and Sage protected me, and yeah. That's why we're all involved."

"Right…"

An awkward silence fell between us and I mentally beat myself up. Why couldn't I be a good liar? That wasn't convincing at all! Even though it was part truth! Cursing myself, I stared out the window again, watching the rain pour from the sky relentlessly. Maybe not being good at lying was a good thing though… In some situations.

"Daphne?"

"Hmm?"

"Does Mr. Firay hate me?"

I glanced back at Jackson, surprised. "What?"

He shifted uncomfortably, cupping his neck with his right hand. "You know, since you guys are friends, wouldn't he be angry with me for everything I've done?"

"He was," I respond honestly, "but I don't think he is anymore. He's just a naturally teasing person, which kind of makes him seem cold. But he's not."

Jackson smirked a little bit. "I wonder if he likes guys…"

Somehow I managed to choke on air. Tears sprung to my eyes as I hacked and heaved, trying to get air to my lungs. Jackson gazed at me in concern and a little bit of amusement. When I finally could breathe again, I gaped at him. "D-do you have a crush on him?"

"Do you?" he countered slyly.

I shook my head vehemently. "No way!"

"Then maybe I do," he said thoughtfully, tapping a finger to his chin. "He's kind of cute… Very handsome. Rugged. A little bit aggressive, but that would be fun…" He grinned evilly. "If you know what I mean."

Unable to speak, I could only gawk at him. Was he serious? Or was he joking with me? Did he really have a crush on Matt? My boyfriend? Our teacher? Suddenly I felt dizzy and sick.

"Though you're pretty cute too," he continued, his piercing gaze meeting mine again. "You're single, right?"

"I'm… I'm… Aren't you gay?"

He shrugged. "I can be bisexual. I'm not that picky. I like you, though. I could see myself turning straight for you." He winked suggestively.

My cheeks flushed and I dropped my gaze to the floor. "S-sorry, I don't like you like that, Jackson."

"I bet," he said with a laugh. "I'm kidding. You really are gullible."

"Were you kidding about having a crush on Matt?"

He tilted his head to the side, furrowing his eyebrows. "Was I?"

Before he could say anything else, the door swung open and in sauntered Matt. Rain soaked his clothing and hair making his appearance resemble a drowned cat's. Exhaustion was etched across his face and he collapsed into the nearest chair, shaking his head. "How do little kids have so much energy?"

"They're not old men like you," Jackson responded simply.

Matt scowled. "I wasn't asking you."

"Oh? Then you should address the person you want to talk to when you want to specifically talk to someone."

"Whatever."

"Umm," I interjected awkwardly, glancing at Matt. "I'm hungry. Care to accompany me to the vending machines?"

He frowned at me. "But I just sat down…"

"Too bad," I told him, pushing myself to the edge of the chair. My side throbbed, but I clenched my teeth and ignored it. If it still hurt later, I'd ice it. After clambering to my feet, I gestured for him to follow me. "Let's go."

"I want a package of barbeque potato chips," Jackson requested.

I paused, glancing at him over my shoulder. "Sure."

Matt narrowed his eyes as I walked by him, slowly standing up to accompany me. As soon as we were out of the room with the door shut, he started talking. "Did I interrupt something?"

"Like what?"

"Whatever you two were talking about before I got there."

Feeling my cheeks start to tingle again, I whipped my head back and forth. "No! Of course not! What makes you think that? Haha! We were just discussing, you know… shoes."

"Shoes?" Matt repeated skeptically.

I nodded stiffly. There was no way I was mentioning Jackson's could-be crush on him. _No way_.

"Daphne, you know you can't lie to me."

"Yes, I know," I muttered dryly. That was a line I hadn't heard in a while.

He sighed dramatically. "I guess if you don't want to tell me I can just assume you're secretly cheating on me with him."

Freezing in my steps, I twirled around to stare at him, my mouth falling open. "That's not true, Matt!"

"Oh, is it not?" he replied with a smirk. "I guess I'll never know."

Scowling, I crossed my arms. That wasn't fair. I knew he was just fooling around, but it was still annoying. "You're a jerk."

He fell into step with me as I started moving again. "Why don't you want to tell me?"

"It's embarrassing," I confessed. "And awkward. And I'm not sure if you're allowed to know."

His face hardened. "What's it about?"

"Nothing bad," I assured him quickly. "It's just… Never mind. I can't say anything. I don't even know if it's true."

"That just makes me more curious," he said glumly, holding open the door that led to the vending, coffee, and ice machines.

I smiled at the tone of his voice. His curiosity was cute— but I wouldn't let him know that. By now, I was far aware that he didn't like being called cute. "Curiosity killed the cat."

"I could force it out of you," he whispered in my ear suddenly, his hands wrapping around my waist to hold me in place.

"Ow!" I cried, jerking in surprise as his right hand landed directly on my bruise.

He immediately pulled his hands away. "Sorry, I didn't realize I grabbed you so hard."

Swallowing nervously, I shook my head. "You didn't. You just, um, surprised me is all."

"Huh."

Ignoring the feeling that his gaze was on my back, I pressed my face against a vending machine, trying to decide on what I wanted. They didn't have many choices, mainly just different types chips and cookies. Oreos sounded pretty good at the moment, but so did Chips Ahoy… "_Ow!_" My hand went to my side, slapping away Matt's hand, which he'd slapped to my bruised again.

"What's wrong with you?" he demanded. "Lift up your shirt."

"No!"

"Now, Daphne," he ordered, his face completely serious. "Or I'll do it for you."

Glowering at him, I seized the edge of my shirt and raised it just high enough so he could see the slowly forming bruise. "See?"

His gaze softened and he stepped closer to me, his hand going to the un-bruised part of my hip. "Who did this?"

"I did," I mumbled, dropping my shirt in fear of someone walking in.

"I know you're clumsy, but I know you're not this clumsy."

Sighing, I looked up at him. "Don't get angry…"

Now he sighed. "You always say that when you're about to tell me something important."

"When we arrived at the hospital today, I kind of walked in on… um… Well James trying to suffocate Jackson."

"You're kidding."

"I'm not."

"In a public place?" Matt said skeptically. "How stupid can those guys get? Well, James was never the brightest crayon in the box... But seriously? In a hospital?"

I cupped my elbow, pressing my lips into a straight line. "That's what I thought. They were really trying to murder Jackson…"

"They?"

"There were two others, too."

He stared at me in disbelief. "This would happen the one time I'm not with you."

"I fended them off though! I hit the nurse's button, so they would leave."

"Why didn't you just scream?" he inquired, running a hand through his hair.

"That would've attracted unwanted attention…"

He gave me a flat look. "You'd rather die?"

I shook my head. "No! But I didn't want to have to deal with the cops if I didn't have to."

"Daphne…"

"Sorry…?" I apologized hesitantly.

He flicked my nose, catching me off guard. "That was a stupid move, but I guess I can't be angry with you for it. It'd been bad if I showed up back here looking for you and the cops were here. We both know I'm in way too much trouble as it is. The only reason I didn't go back to jail last time when the cops were involved was because of you."

I laughed sheepishly. "Oh really? Good."

"But you do realize Jackson will have to go to the police about this, don't you?"

"Yes," I confessed honestly. Matt and I couldn't be involved. It had to be Jackson who went to tell the story. I could be a witness and that's it. I couldn't be any more involved in it. If Jackson wanted this to end, he'd have to go to the police about it. "But Matt, he still…" Slapping a hand to my mouth, I cut myself off. I couldn't tell Matt Jackson had feelings for Bryant!

Matt cocked his head to the side. "He still what?"

"Never mind."

"No not never mind."

"I can't tell you."

"You know I don't like secrets."

I chewed on my bottom lip. "Let's just say it won't be easy convincing Jackson to go against Bryant."

"Why?"

"I can't tell you!"

He groaned in frustration. "I can't help if I don't know what's going on, Daphne."

"And I can't tell you! Jackson doesn't want anyone knowing!"

"Knowing what? That he's head over heels in love with Bryant or something?" Matt responded with a snort.

I gasped.

His eyes widened. "Wait, are you serious?"

"No! Jackson doesn't feel like that!"

"Oh my God," Matt said, staring at me dumbly. I think that was the first time I'd ever heard him use that phrase. It made him seem younger in some weird way… and more attractive. "He's gay?"

Exasperated with myself, I kicked Matt. He gave me a 'what-the-hell' look. "You can't tell anyone!"

"I won't," he told me, crossing his arms. "That makes it a lot easier to believe what you just told me. I guess that means this is up to you and me."

"What do you mean?"

His eyes lit up in amusement. "We're going to do something you've been wanting to do for a while. I've thought about it and realized it might be useful."

"What's that?"

"We're going to visit Bryant in jail."

My jaw dropped. We were going to visit Bryant?

* * *

**A/N. **It seems Sage isn't the only bisexual in this story. :3 So who do you think Jackson likes? Daphne or Matt?

FUN FACT: I had no idea what to name this chapter (I thought about OMG, Crushes, Explain, Planning, but I didn't like any of them), so I just named it "Indescribable". :D It worked anyways. I have utterly no way to describe this chapter.

Review Replies:

GrimmGirlLove: Hahah, thanks! I changed that, thanks for pointing it out! :D You can look back at last chapter if you want to see the edit I made! Oooh, that sounds cute! Thanks for the review!

iiGabbyLove: Oh, I see, but still LUCKYYYYYY. Pocky pocky pocky! I had some the other day. It melted in the car, but still tasted so goodie. Mitsukoshi. I must go there next time I go to Epcot. Hahah, very nice. Dora, Dora, Dora the Explorer! We're all embarrassing children. I used to act out scenes with my best friend about Drake and Josh and each time one of us would play Drake and the other his love interest, lolol. We would dance together, and it was so funny because neither of us knew how to act like a boy, so we just used really low voices, hahaha! There was also this one time where –well, I'll tell you another time. ;)

Hanyou of the Grimms: Thanks! :D Lol, I can't choose between Matt or Sage. Matt is like, _mmmhmm_ and like romantic, and then Sage is like _awwwyeaah _and so funny! :D And no, it's not sad considering Matt doesn't even seem like Mustardseed except for looks. :D I feel for Jackson, too.

Curlscat: Thanks! I fixed some already. She found her inner self, and realized she was being a wimp for a good amount of the story, so decided she was going to bring back her inner ninja, I guess. Hahah, _I _feel happy that I'm including plot. I haven't really been happy with BCC the past few chapters. Well, basically most of BCC.

Cbstormx: Cool, haha! :D

Samantha Louise: Thanks! And basically, yes, but it's fine because she gave me permission. Wow, crazy!

Emma: Thanks! :D We'll see where the chapters take us. ;) Thanks!

As White as Snow: Haha, thanks! I'm glad you enjoyed!

Writerchix98: Yup! :D I can't decide either. :D Lol, so true!

SapphireLove38: (x4) Thanks! Yeah, Ariana knows, and yes, Matt's Mustardseed! :D

Cherryzone1211: Thanks! Korean, cool! Were you born in the U.S. or did you emigrate (Immigrate?) from Korea? Thanks!

Laylalolz234: No idea, haha! Sorry, no third! I need to start on some new ideas, but I'll post one-shots, most likely! :)

Guest: PERFECT IDEA! I mean, that works for me, but I know I've got a lot of impatient reviewers, so that wouldn't suffice with them, but that made me seriously happy that you suggested that. :D Thanks for the review!

JesusLover: Thanks! :D

Guest: His big surprise was that he's teaching at her school. :D

Guest: Maybe that's because I'm a busy person, all right?

All right, guys! I'll see you sometime…sometime! :D

~Lara


	44. Chapter 44 Apology

A/N. All right.

I really dislike doing A/N. notes, but it's quite urgent.

I won't be able to update for about two weeks due to final exams happening this week and next. Also, I've got a lot of work to do, make up work :(, over this weekend and I've barely gotten anything done because I went to a pre-graduation party yesterday night, I had my piano and violin recital this morning, and I'm altar serving at four o' clock this evening. I can even list all the things I have to do:

Apology A/N. (Check)

T-Shirt Design for School Contest

Wizard of Oz DVD Design

Science Extra Credit

Salutatorian Speech (:D Whoop!)

Study for Math Exam

Study for Spanish Exam

Mind you that I'm a perfectionist in school work, so all of this could take me forever. :/

But here's a sneak peak of the upcoming chapter 44 (since I'm feeling really bad that I won't update for a while D:)!

Nothing was more awkward than having five people sitting in a cramped hospital room with no one talking. Jackson was staring moodily at the wall like he always did when it was more than just myself and Matt visiting, Matt was reading an Alternate Press magazine, Wendell was texting on his phone, and Ariana was making funny faces at Sage, who was making them back, and they were both trying not to laugh. Meanwhile I was bored out of my mind, trying to think of something to start off a conversation.

"So is today the day you're going to visit Bryant?" Jackson asked, breaking the silence in the hospital room.

Immediately four gazes snapped to me, all looking surprised. Taken aback by the sudden focus shift, I just took turns staring dumbly back at each person, opening and closing my mouth without being able to form any words. When my gaze landed on Matt, I could finally speak. "Why do you look so shocked?" I demanded.

"Just because," he responded with a grin.

Sage sat straight up in his chair, his eyes wide. "Whoa, wait, why are you two going to see Bryant? Isn't that a stupid idea? Is this Daphne's idea?"

"Hey!" I protested.

Wendell snorted. "It sounds like one. You want to go visit the man who tried to kill you and your teacher?" he questioned, staring skeptically at me.

"It's not—"

"Did you have to whine and complain to get Matt to let you go?" Sage inquired, an amused smirk appearing on his face. "Or did you convince him some other way…?"

"I didn't—"

Ariana gasped. "Did you threaten to break up—"

Smiling, Sage quickly slapped a hand to her face. "No, she didn't threaten to break up that jigsaw puzzle that took him two years to put together."

"It took you that long to put together a puzzle?" Jackson asked, giving Matt a pitying look.

He scowled, but didn't deny it, causing Jackson to laugh. I rolled my eyes. "I'll have you all know, Matt was the one who decided we should go visit Bryant."

"Mr. Firay did?"

"Firay did?"

"Matt did?"

"He did?"

I glowered at everyone in the room. "Come on! Not all choices I make are stupid! Some friends you guys are!"

Ariana laughed, shaking her head. "I'm just giving you a hard time."

"No, not all choices you make are stupid, but this one definitely is. What are you thinking?" Wendell demanded, crossing his arms. "And you too!" he added, his gaze switching to Matt. "What are you thinking, going along with it?"

Matt sighed. "I just want to know what Bryant's thinking and what he wants. He's gone after enough of my students. Jackson doesn't need to be another victim."

"And it's not like he can do any harm to us while we're there," I added, frowning. "It's not a stupid idea. If it was, Matt wouldn't agree to it."

Wendell didn't look satisfied. "It is a stupid idea."

"It is not—"

"It is a pretty stupid idea," Matt admitted, "but it might be the only one that'll work. The last month of your senior year is coming up. I'm sure I'm not alone when I say I want it to be trouble free for you guys. There are a lot of fun things planned, so I want all complications to be gone. Talking with Bryant will help that along."

Ariana tilted her head to the side. "What kind of fun things?"

"I'm not supposed to say…"

She pouted at him. "Aww! You can't keep secrets like that Mr. Firay!"

"You can call me Matt," he told her, frowning.

Her expression immediately switched to a grin. "But if I called you Matt, I might forget that you're a teacher."

"And…?"

She stared pointedly at me. I gazed back at her, confused. Why was she looking at me? Was it because she liked the idea I was dating a teacher? Grimacing, I realized that was probably true.

Wendell shook his head at her. "There's something wrong with your head, girl."

She waved him off. "No! It's just cute!"

"What's cute?" Jackson questioned.

"Nothing!" I said quickly. He had to be stupid to miss what was going on. Thankfully, he seemed to be stupid.

"Then can we please just stick to the main topic?" he demanded. "What are you going to say to Bryant when you go there?"

"We can say hello to him for you, if you want," Matt told him, a teasing tone to his voice.

I elbowed Matt.

He elbowed me back, but more gently.

Scowling, I elbowed him again. He did it back. Soon, we were in a mini-elbowing fight.

"And I'm childish," Sage commented loudly.

We both glared at him. "Shut up. At least I don't shop at Victoria's Secret."

"You do too, Daphne," Matt said, smirking. "I happen to have—"

"Haha!" Ariana interjected loudly and awkwardly. "Look at Jackson's nose! It's crooked!"

Jackson stared at her, his hand going up to his nose. "No it's not…"

Matt shut his mouth abruptly, sitting a little more tensely. Apparently he, like myself, had forgotten Jackson didn't know we were dating. Again. We really had to be more careful. Surreptitiously, I sent Ariana a thankful look.


End file.
